Happy New Year!

"Hurry Up Bella!" (image 16"x20")

Here is the watercolor painting that I was commissioned to do for a special Christmas present. If you look closely, you will see Bella, the family's golden retriever - she is always being asked to hurry and catch up with everyone. (I actually learned that little fact after I had finished the painting and titled it!) The setting is the desert outside of Tucson in the Rincon Mountain area. A beautiful place for a hike and a great setting for the painting! I planned this composition from an assortment of photos that were provided of the different family members on various hikes. It was fun putting them together and deciding just how I would portray them. Everyone enjoyed finding themselves in the painting and, all in all, it was a great surprise for their Grandma to present to them! (Perhaps this will give you an idea of a painting you would like to have me do?)

I hope everyone is getting off to a wonderful new year and working hard at all those resolutions! But not too hard - it's still just January! I am having fun working on some new paintings and look forward to sharing them with you soon. Thanks for your wonderful comments and emails. I love hearing from you!

"Museum of Northern Arizona" (image 10"x14")

Oh what a wonderful time of the year! Here is my Christmas card for you "Wishing you the peace and joy of Christmas and a healthy prosperous New Year!"

My most recent painting is a secret commission for a holiday gift so I cannot share it with you until after Christmas. But here's a hint - it's a young family out on a favorite outing with their family pet. I can't wait to hear about their comments and then I will show it to you.

Here are 2 of my grandchildren, 6 year old twins Rachel and Simon sharing a hug after their 1st grade Christmas program. What better example of the warm fuzzy feelings we love to share during this season. I hope this finds you also enjoying special times and special people.

Best wishes to you for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Museum of Northern Arizona

Last weekend , we put up a new show at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. The Museum Bookstore has been carrying my cards and small wrapped giclées for some time. Now I am so excited to have the opportunity to display my framed watercolors as well!

Here John is hanging the paintings which were chosen to reflect subjects related to the Museum and Northern Arizona. Marilyn, Museum Volunteer on duty, was a big help to us with the display. First chance that you get, be sure to stop into the Museum on Fort Valley Road to see the wonderful collections and exhibits and don't forget the Bookstore!

What Fun!

Winners from my Open Studio drawing, Jim and Vel Hedberg, stopped by today to choose their mini giclée - "It's Holly Time Again". It was delightful having a chance to get acquainted and to share my work with them again. Congratulations once again! Taking a few minutes to sign the guest list is all it takes to get your name in my drawing.

Open Studio Update and more...

After a busy Open Studio weekend and getting reacquainted with so many of you again, I have the winners of my "guest list drawing". Jim and Vel Hedberg from Munds Park and Laurie Cosolito from Flagstaff were excited to be called and asked to choose their mini giclée- "It's Holly Time Again" or "Late Summer at the Arboretum".


Congratulations!!! And thank you to all of you who visited my studio and entered the drawing. I also appreciated your good wishes for my speedy recovery from my fall. (I am making good progress and best of all - painting again!)


I hope some of you have been watching the PBS series this week, "The National Parks - America's Best Idea". (Visit pbs.org for details.) The film by Ken Burns was opened with a special live celebration concert in New York City's Central Park and broadcast to select audiences on September 23rd. I was privileged to be able to donate 2 giclée prints from Arizona National Monuments for the Eight Public Television and Eight Educational Outreach: ASSET audiences to assist with their membership drive - "Springtime at Cabeza Prieta" and "Hubbell Trading Post". In addition, 4 of my watercolor images were used for notecards to be given to the participants. I was so pleased to be able to contribute to this special event in this way!

Congratulations to Peggy George and Kristi Olson of Phoenix!









Now, I'm looking forward to cooler weather in the Valley and working on some special commissions.

Flagstaff Open Studios

"Colton House" (image 10" x 14")


Preparations are underway for an exciting weekend, September 19 and 20, when I will have my "condo studio" in Flagstaff open for you to visit 10 am to 5 pm. I will do a drawing each day, from the guests' sign in sheet, for a 5x7 giclée! And I will be doing a demo for you to see a painting in progress. (Yes, I do plan to be painting in spite of some injuries I sustained during a fall last week.) My sister, Janis, is coming early from Toronto, Canada to help me get everything ready.

Brochures with maps to the various studios are available at the Visitor Center (train station downtown) as well as many other locations around town. Also you can find one at the Artists' Coalition website www.flagstaff-arts.org. Or email (Catherine@CatherineSickafoose.com) or phone (602 918-0234) me and I will send you one in the mail. Looking forward to seeing you!

Brandy's Show

Original watercolors on little standup boxes (6x6 and 5x10)

for your table or mantel or you can hang them on the wall!

They are beautifully crafted by my husband, John,

and varnished for an archive finish.

Here we are relaxing after hanging 40 pieces of art. (That's Brandy for those of you who have not met her.) The show looks wonderful, thanks to all the staff who helped us. I hope that many of you will have a chance to stop by for a bite to eat and see the variety of new work that I have done, just for this show! The boxes above were finished just in the nick of time!