Some Very Exciting News

On November 25 2013, I received the most amazing email, one I had to read at least ten times. The email was sent by the Senior Editor / Project Manager of Walter Foster Publishing. Here is what she wrote,

"I'm the senior editor at Walter Foster Publishing (www.walterfosterpublishing.com), a publisher of fine-art instructional books. We are currently working a book titled "The Art of Painting in Acrylic." This is a 144-page, multi-authored book in our Collector's Series. We typically split the books up into subjects and include a section on painting still lifes, portraits, etc. I came across your website last week and thought you would be a good fit for a section on painting landscapes and seascapes. Is this something that would be of interest to you? We would be looking for several step-by-step projects that beginner-to-intermediate painters can follow along. Projects are typically between 6 and 9 steps, depending on complexity or the artist's preference. You would retain all the rights to your finished artwork.

If this something that you would be interested in, I would be happy to provide you with additional details regarding the scope of the project, including payment and schedule."

I must admit, the first time I read it my first thought was "Is this for real?", "Is this some kind of clever scam?". When my mind finally excepted the fact that I was reading a real email, I began shaking with excitement. The first person I shared this with was the love of my life. In fact, I read it out loud to him, just to make sure, one more time, that it was real. Then I called my parents.

After emails back and fourth, publishing contracts read and signed and images agreed upon, I got to work on the fist of the four paintings. The image shown here is the first image chosen to use as my reference for one of the step by step paintings. All the reference photos are from my photo excursions around Maui.

Why wait to blog about this exciting news until now? Well, to be honest, I dug right in and focused 100% of my energy into producing the four paintings and writing the step by step instructions. I finished the fourth painting last week and completed the instructions a few days ago. Now I can relax and focus on my next adventure, Maui Open Studio tour.

I'll post more info regarding the book soon. But for now I'll leave you with the link to it's webpage on Walter Foster's website. The book is still in production. The publishing date is August 1, 2014.

http://www.walterfoster.com/books/book.php?id=9781600583827

I'm putting together a list for anyone interested in purchasing the book. Let me know if you want your name and email added to the list.