This year has been very busy.  I began teaching regular classes again in January at my studio, "The Mustard Seed" located in Old Town Spring.  We did a lot of plein air painting and wrapped up the "school year" in late April.  Mid April I taught a workshop at the Art Academy Fredericksburg at Baron's Creek.  After the workshop I stayed to paint in Fredericksburg for a week.    My friend Carrie and I made our way to Dallas on April 17th where we participated in the annual Outdoor Painter's Society's Plein Air Texas event which culminated with a showing of all works painted held at Southwest Gallery on Sigma Drive.  After returning from Dallas I began to make preparations for my trip to Provence, France where I taught an 8 day workshop.  I left for France on May 9.  The workshop was a great success-lots of wonderful students  from all over the country came. To see a slide show of the trip, please go to www.paintingfrance.com.  There were 22 of us total on the trip.  I stayed to paint in Provence at the end of the workshop and returned home on June 1.  Some of the places where we visited and painted were Arles, Gordes, Lourmarin, Roussillon, St. Remy-de-Provence, and Les Baux.  The weather did not always cooperate but it was generally a great trip and experience.  Coming up in 2008 is the Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction in Loveland, Colorado.  Please check back to see some large works from France in the fall of 2008.