Wes and I had the pleasure of attending the Society of Animal Artists exhibition “Encounters Withe the Animal Kingdom” at the beautiful Janice Mason Art Museum last weekend. Nestled along main street in the small, picturesque town of Cadiz, Kentucky, you feel welcomed as soon as you enter the front door! We were met by numerous smiling faces and outstretched arms upon walking inside, and were immediately recognized by the friendly museum staff. Within seconds we knew we were in for a treat and an enjoyable afternoon! And a treat it was, for as soon as I walked through the opening leading into the main room, I couldn’t help but say “Wow… it’s so beautiful!”
There in the middle of the room stood an extended antique oak table, with large round legs, covered with an exquisite lace tablecloth. The middle was lined with five tall glass vases overflowing with hundreds of bright lemon-yellow daffodils, which were handpicked for this special occasion. Surrounding the stunning center display was a delightful assortment of edible treats to boot! 
Being a big fan of chandeliers, I immediately noticed the two gorgeous chandeliers gracing the space above the table, and the entire setting exuded pure elegance! The rooms were bright and cheery and the surrounding artwork was well lit.
The show was hung so nicely, creating a smooth flowing transition for the viewer viewing the artworks through the exhibition. The opening that afternoon was very well attended and we received multiple compliments on the variety of the artworks in the exhibition.
Two fellow SAA artists were able to attend the opening, Leslie Hutto and Jennifer L Cook, and we so enjoyed getting to spend the afternoon talking with them. Hanging out with fellow artists is always a treat and it seems we always come away with a little more excitement and inspiration for carrying on with our business of creating paintings.
Upon learning that the assorted chocolate truffles were handmade, I couldn’t resist trying a few. They were scrumptious and my “Oooo’s and Yum” quickly inspired the others to try a couple as well. I have to admit a favorite for many of us were little cups made of white chocolate filled with a creamy, rich filling, topped with bits of lime zest and tasted like key lime pies!
They were scrumptious and I later learned from Vicki who made them, that they were called margarita cups. If I’m to be honest, I’m pretty sure I used up my month’s worth of dessert allotment in that afternoon, but it was totally worth it . . . LOL!
Attending SAA members Wes, me, Leslie and Jennifer
Talking with museum staff, I learned that the museum was the old post office, which had been saved and remodeled. There were still signs here and there of its former self, such as this section of old metal P.O. Boxes, which was quite lovely and looked like a piece of artwork itself. It was truly a delightful afternoon, and we want to extend a big Thank You to all of you at Janice Mason, who worked so hard to make this such a beautiful exhibition and for such a wonderful time at the opening!
Enjoy this short, fun video below, of the SAA exhibition at the Janice Mason
Upon saying goodbyes to all of our new friends, we drove part of the way back home to the town of Clarksville, where we spent the night. After eating supper, we headed to the hotel to check in. Walking into the lobby, we noticed several people sitting about and saw a sign that had been sat on the desk stating that the person was helping a customer and would return soon.
Well, we sat there and sat there and waited, as more people began trickling in. finally about an hour later, a frazzled young lady who was a house keeper came out and said she was so sorry for everyone having to wait so long. She went on to explain that the employee had just got upset, quit and walked out on the job, leaving this poor girl by herself and that the night shift person had been called and was coming into work early. This was a first for us and we ended waiting 1 1/2 hours before the other person got there. Thankfully everyone was so gracious and kind, and realized that it wasn’t the fault of these two poor souls.
We were quite happy to see the next morning that at least the breakfast person had not quit and we enjoyed a lovely meal before heading home. Although it rained the entire drive home, as we started getting closer to home, we were suddenly surrounded by a dense fog that turned the world white, making it appear as if we were driving into the great unknown. We had to drive quite a ways in the fog before it thankfully lifted just before returning home.
IN THE STUDIO
You may recognize this image of one of our precious resident squirrels who its nesting in a tree in the front yard. I took a couple of videos of her which I shared to both my Instagram page and our YouTube channel. It was so adorable that I just had to paint her!
SEE OUR PAINTINGS IN PERSON THIS WEEK
Society of Animal Artists Encounters with the Animal Kingdom Exhibition
February 22 – April 8, 2023: The Janice Mason Art Museum, Cadiz, KY
Our touring exhibition EXQUISITE MINIATURES is now on display at the MUSE (Douglas Family Art Centre) in Kenora, ON, Canada. It will be on display there thru March 15, 2023. For more info, visit their website The MUSE
Society of Animal Artists 62nd Annual Exhibition Tour
On display thru April 2, 2023: The Ella Carothers Dunnegan Museum of Art, Bolivar, MO
To see our available miniature paintings as well as some upcoming shows,
visit our WEBSITE artofwildlife.com Email us
Until Next Time ~ Rachelle
Under the Magnifying Glass 