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Mandolin Cafe News
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« August 2007 | Main | October 2007 »
I'm proud to say that our most recent link under Friends and Neighbors is the website of the multi-talented Jim Hurst. This is a watercolor sketch of Jim based on a performance of his near Scagway, Alaska on the Cottage Music Bluegrass Cruise. Jim has been nominated for this year's Guitar Player of the Year by the IBMA. 
Check out his website. Interesting background on this gifted musician, song writer, vocalist and humorist.
Speaking of the IBMA, I'm going to have a booth at Fan Fest this year. You can visit Queen Bee, Petunia and myself at booth #80 with Appalachian Studio. I'll have original art as well as art prints and cards available for sale. Also, you can see the original art that I produced for the IBMA to use in the 2008 World of Bluegrass marketing materials. This is our first trip to the event, and we're really looking forward to seeing some old friends as well as meeting some new ones.
The last day of summer 2007 was postcard perfect in the mountains of Western Maryland. The folks who run the Appalachian Festival on the campus of Frostburg Statue University must have paid extra for this one. We sure had a good time catching up with old friends from the bluegrass world and area.
Our bluegrass buddies, The Allegheny Drifters, put on two excellent performances, conducted a harmony workshop that was fun and valuable, and hung out with us for a while at our tent. We are looking forward to catching up with them again at the IBMA World of Bluegrass. Any bluegrass fan who hasn't heard the "Drifters" owes themselves this treat.
I'll be at Frostburg State University tomorrow for the Appalachian Festival. I've never been to this event before and I'm really looking forward to it. It looks like there is some good entertainment lined up, including a local favorite of mine, The Allegheny Drifters.
Appalachian Studio will have a booth under the artisan's tent, so stop on by and say hello.
Not much time for sittin' 'round...what with music and art festivals in full swing. We had a nice time at the Deep Creek Lake Art and Wine Festival. Met lots of nice folks, sold some art, cards and prints. And yesterday did get to pick with J.C. and the Boys (plus one girl) at Allen Armstrong's annual Jamboree in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. Met a lot of old friends from the WV, Md, and PA area. Good music...good food...good time. Allen's Jamboree is always fun.
Last Friday, was invited to pick with Randy Thomas & Friends at the Sagebrush Round-Up. A highlight for me was having our grandson Thomas along. He danced on stage the whole hour we played just like he did last year when he was with us. He's a real crowd pleaser.
You can catch Petunia, Queen Bee and me tomorrow at The Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival at the Garrett County Fairgrounds. Petunia had me work up a couple of wine themed paintings for the event. Not my usual subject matter, but a nice deviation. Here are a couple of the new paintings. I'll have originals, prints and art print cards for sale. 
I'll be at the Sagebrush Round-Up tonight with Randy Thomas and friends. We'll have a special guest with us tonight. Come on out and say hello.
This past weekend, we stopped by the 29th annual Labor Day Music Festival and Camp out in Berlin, PA. Great fun! This is truly a grass roots American Music scene. My only regret is that our time on Sunday was so limited that we didn't get to jam with so many of our bluegrass friends. Here are some photos of Hammers and Strings and The Savage Family Band, both from Garrett County, MD. I shot some miscellaneous scenes as well.
I've been working on new watercolors with bluegrass themes. I still have ideas from the Cottage Music Alaskan Bluegrass Cruise, and I'm loading up for the IBMA World of Bluegrass. Stop by our booth at Fan Fest, October 5 through 7 at the Nashville Convention Center. The first painting is called Bass Line and the one below is Single Mic.
