Being on East Coast time, I was waking up at 4:00 in the morning and going for a nice walk around Catalina before having breakfast and starting painting. Every single morning I would find John Budicin out painting the first painting of the day -- usually he was also out there painting the last painting of the day as well when all the rest of us lazy painters were out having diner or carousing! That guy must sure like to paint; or just really needs the money bad!

Here's another early riser, Brian Stewart out on the main pier.

John Cosby.

During the week of the show there was a strike going on against the Vons grocery store chain and every day the workers were outside picketing. Since we don't have that chain by us, I didn't know anything about it so talked to the strikers a bit about the situation. Unfortunately since Vons is the only grocery store on the island, I explained to them that I had no choice but to cross their line for paper towels to paint with. They said they understood that it was almost impossible to boycott Vons on Catalina, but felt it important to be out there to get the message out nevertheless. 

Here's Carlos, a very gentle guy who I really enjoyed talking to.

John Budicin once again!

The master painter, Mian Situ.

Ken Backhouse.

Jane Shuss

Here's Gerald Fritzler braving the rocky pier to get a unique view. We missed him at the NWR show in Montana this year since he chose a Harley Davidson rally instead -- good to know at least some artists have their priorities in order!

Here's a painter from England named Chris who just came over for the week to paint the Island and hang out with everyone. He was a really excellent painter and I wish he had a website so you could see his work.

Betty Billups putting the Internet to an unintended use!

John Cosby painting a beautiful one of the first light hitting Avalon from up on the hillside.

Joseph Paquet looking intense on the pier at night. I was painting right next to him looking the other direction and was impressed by the degree to which Joe plans out his paintings since the entire time he was just carefully sketching out his scene with a small brush in preparation for the painting he'd be doing in the morning. He told me that many of his paintings he would come back two or three days to complete.

Here's the famous Casino building as the sun set on the final year of the show on the Island.

Ralph Oberg

Joe Abracia catching the gorgeous last-light effect from the pier. It was fun talking to Joe about Chicago since he attended the same school as Susan and I had, the American Academy of Art, and had studied with Bill Mosby, the teacher of our teacher, Bill Parks.

Brian Stewart in his green prison.

Ned! Those of you who don't know Ned by now haven't been paying attention to this journal!

Ken Auster in a nice shady spot.

The sight that we all dreaded; a Cruise ship parking just offshore! Soon the town would be overrun with people, carts, and noise. I, along with many of the other artists, headed for the hills and out-of-the-way spots free from the bedlam.

Ray Roberts in his Jimmy Buffet painting uniform.

John Budicin with one of his many groupies hanging on his every brushstroke!

Since I put a photo of Matt painting while talking on his cell phone at one of the Laguna paint-outs, he made me promise to put this one that he took of me on the site. I'm just calling my gallery to find out if painting palm trees is "in" right now. "No," they told me, "Oak trees are the new palm trees," so I quickly changed the tree to an Oak. Since then, Fig trees are the new Oak. It's just so hard to keep up with the fads in the art world!

Here's a couple of children that watched me for a long time. As I often do, I had them put a few brushstrokes on the painting.

Her bother seemed very unimpressed with his sister's efforts. 

Here's the brother in action, looking like he knows what he's doing more than me!

Here's Kevin Macpherson taking the bit between his teeth and running with it! 

Notice how much larger of a crowd Kevin has than me! I've really got to find out what brand of perfume he wears...

A picture of Ken Auster that says a thousand words! 

Here's Mian Situ and his wife looking at some of John Cosby's paintings before they're picked up for the show.

Camille Przewodek

Greg Hull

Here's Gina Budicin and her second father, Skip Witcomb.

Matt Smith and Tracy Avant, the reining Mr. and Ms. Catalina!

On the last couple of days, the tragic fires in Los Angeles caused some eerie lighting effects, as well as ash to rain down on us.

Here's the president of PAPA, George Strickland. The amount of time and effort George puts into the show and the group is amazing, without which, none of us would have sold so many painting and made all that money during the week! Maybe as thanks all the artists should send him a nice thank you check for $1,000 dollars? No one seemed all that excited about this idea, so I suggested we each buy him a beer... which eventually got negotiated down to all of us pitching in and buying him one beer. To date, George still hasn't seen the beer. Artists are such cheapskates!

Well, time for the boat ride back. This being the final show on Catalina Island, I sense the end of an era. Well, see you all next year as the show makes it's debut at the Ceasers Hotel and Casino in beautiful Lake Taho!