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Today was the deadline for the LSU Animals in Art juried exhibit entries. I debated on entering the contest; I forced myself and finally sent three animal entries to the show. This is all in an artist's life. Not only do you paint, you exhibit. One of the ways that an artist begins to establish a name in the art community is by exhibiting in as many shows, festivals, fairs, etc. as possible. Liz Walker of Elizabethan Gallery sent me a press release announcing an exhibit and sale of new works by members of the Associated Women in the Arts hosted by the Adams and Reese Law Firm. The show will be in the firm's Conference Center Art Gallery located on the 18th floor of the Riverside Tower North, 4050 Laurel Street, downtown. The show will open with a reception on Feb. 1, from 5-7 p.m., and remain on display until March 8.

Renee Fletcher, an LSU instructor of art, will jury the show. Fletcher worked in the interior design field until receiving her MFA from Louisiana State University in 2006. An accomplished artist, as well as teacher, Fletcher says about her work, "My work is about a universe hidden behind, and within, the visible world."

Clark Derbes' exhibit is up at the Jenkins Connelly Gallery located in New Orleans. The exhibit hangs through February 10. His work can be viewed online. For more information, call the gallery at (504) 522-8111 or visit their Web site at jenkinsconnelly.com.

On April 1, 2006 the doors of the new Jenkins Connelly Gallery in the heart of the New Orleans’ arts district were opened providing the ideal setting to present an edgy mix of contemporary artwork.

They have gathered the cutting edge work of 25 painters, photographers and sculptors from Louisiana and beyond, their Web site reports. In addition to offering a vibrant, diverse gallery of artwork, they also specialize in commercial and residential art consulting services. The gallery is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Mondays by appointment only.

I got an email from Louisiana watercolor artist Debbie Cannatella who moved to Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago several years ago. She informed me that amongst all the shows, teaching, workshops, and painting that she is doing, she has now joined the "blog-set." I also noticed that she is the featured artist on Iris Magazine this month. She gives a step-by- step progression through a watercolor painting on her blogspot from the detailed sketch to the finished watercolor. Check her out here. Debbie’s work also hangs at the College Drive Coffee Call, her family’s’ coffee shop in Baton Rouge.

Whether the artist is writing, blogging, painting, exhibiting it’s all in a day's work in the life of an artist; creating and expressing, networking and marketing your work. Come on and link-up with me and let me know where we can see your art and what you are doing in the new year.

Happy Painting!