First Art Show Of 2026 Set For March

I'm so happy to announce my first art show for this year!

My colorful flower painting, Open To Possibilities, was chosen for display in the Chicago Alliance of Visual Artists' member show from Sunday, March 1, through Saturday, March 28.

The show will be held at Mana Contemporary Chicago, located at 2233 S. Throop St. on Chicago's Near South Side in the Pilsen neighborhood.

Join Me - Opening Reception Saturday, March 7

Please join me on Saturday, March 7, from 1 to 3:30 p.m., for the opening reception.

I'll be at the opening and would love to see you there and show you my beautiful flower painting, which features a lively pink lily. (Just the thing to hasten the spring!)

Admission is free, both for the opening and for the show. 

If you're in town, do come to the opening: it will be my first time exhibiting at this space, which is a historical landmark. 

About Open To Possibilities

A bouquet of bright pink lilies, the huge and fragrant Stargazer variety, inspired Open To Possibilities.

Have you ever gotten through a dark winter, made it to spring, and just felt like you had to get some flowers to cheer yourself up? Even though it's spring, nothing's popped up from the ground yet, none of your favorite flowers are blooming yet, and you just crave some color and sweet scented blossoms.

That happened to me during a recent spring.

So when I saw bouquets of Stargazers at the grocery store I snapped one up, all the flowers closed up in tight buds, in order to enjoy each one's opening.

Oh, the heavenly scent as they began to bloom. And the beauty of the petals. I just had to paint one of these magical lilies.

I chose to paint mostly the buds, with just one massive flower open and green leaves below on the super long stems. (This is such a tall, stately, SHOWY flower!) The painting that resulted carried that feeling of opening, along with the idea of being open to life and all the wonders that can come to us when we're ready to receive beauty and goodness.

That open flower feels so alive, and I'm glad I decided to paint it on one of my favorite Asian papers - a highly transparent handmade shuen paper. This paper feels alive whenever you touch it because it's made from the bark of beautiful trees and is completely handmade by skilled artisans. It's so delicate looking (you can see through it if you hold it up to the light) and yet very strong.

Once it was dry, I cut a second type of translucent handmade paper (100% cotton) and mounted the painting to the cotton paper.

When I met with the framer, I explained how important it is to show off the beautiful handmade paper - especially the fact that it's transparent.

After many years of experimenting with framing approaches, it came to me that a colored mat beneath the painting is the best way to show off these papers and help you see and enjoy the papers' "see through" quality.

That way, you get a window into the art making world by being able to see just how the painting is made, mounted, matted, and framed.

I chose a deep ruby mat to go under the painting, with another ruby mat on top of it to provide an "open window" liner mat around the edge of the piece. (You can see a sliver of this inner mat in the photo above - look just outside the very edge of the painting.)

On top of the liner mat, there's yet another mat that's ivory colored and goes all around the painting; a rich ruby-burgundy frame encases the painting and all the mats and complements the entire piece.

See More Flower Paintings

You can see more of my flower watercolors in Flower Collections area of this website. 

Check out the Branching Out collection for vibrant colors on interesting, often rugged branches.

Or see the Spring Morning collection for the wonder of flowers when life bursts forth in springtime or the Gentle Flowers collection for delicate blossoms to make you smile or to bring calm to you and your space.

About CAVA

The Chicago Alliance of Visual Artists (CAVA) is a volunteer not-for-profit organization founded in 1988 to serve artists age 50+ working in all types of media by exploring, exhibiting, and promoting these artists' work.

It offers members throughout the Chicago area opportunities to exhibit artwork in notable venues such as Mana Contemporary and the Chicago Cultural Center, which hosted a recent winter exhibition.

CAVA also organizes various member events such as salons, member luncheons, workshops, an annual symposium, and special events.

About Mana Contemporary Chicago

Mana Contemporary is a "distributed arts institution" dedicated to celebrating the creative process, supporting artists, and serving as a bridge between creative hubs worldwide through its network of cultural centers in Chicago as well as Jersey City and Miami.

In Chicago, Mana Contemporary occupies a landmark building in the Pilsen neighborhood that once housed a Commonwealth Edison warehouse. Designed by noted local architect George Nimmons and completed in 1926, Mana hosts artist studios, exhibition spaces, and a library and serves many of the city’s most significant artists and arts organizations via exhibitions, residencies,  and career development.

Mana Contemporary Location And Hours

Mana Contemporary Chicago is located at 2233 S. Throop St. on Chicago's Near South Side in the Pilsen neighborhood.

You'll find the entrance on building's east side.

Gallery hours for the CAVA art show are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.

For information, call (312) 850-0555 or email hellochicago@manacontemporary.com.