2010 proved to be a very busy and productive one in my world of art. It started off with putting together a proposal for a public art piece for the newly renovated and expanded airport facilities in Nassau, something I had never done before. I put together a presentation called "A Day in Paradise". Then there was the "Love My Bahamas” mural project “A Grand Bahamian Vision”, NE5 – the 5th National Juried Exhibition at The National Art Gallery (see November blog post) and then my one woman exhibition “Inner Sanctum” (see October blog post) which was, I am proud to say, a part of the very first Carifringe Festival to be held in the Bahamas.

A Day In Paradise
Apart from all of this, something very special and noteworthy happened in 2010 as well. Back in 1999, I held my first major art exhibition in Nassau, a two woman show, called "Between Friends". The late Mr. Vincent D’Aguilar, legendary patron of the arts and owner of one the largest private art collections in the Bahamas, now held under the D’Aguilar Art Foundation, attended the opening and purchased one of my pieces called "Mama Love". It was the biggest thrill of the whole show for me and gave me immeasurable inspiration and courage to continue my career as an artist. In October 2010, the D’Aguilar Art Foundation held an exhibition, as a part of Carifringe, called “Blessed Mamas" and "Mama Love" was one of the selected pieces from the collection to be featured (the first time it had been on public display since 1999). This was very special and significant for me –"Mama Love" had been part of my first important exhibition in Nassau in 1999 and now 11 years later was on display again during the same time frame as my first one woman show in Nassau "Inner Sanctum". Marina D’Aguilar, the lovely wife of the late Mr. D’Aiguilar, attended "Inner Sanctum" and added two more pieces of my work to the D’Aguillar Art Foundation Collection. ... such is the gift of GRACE!

Garden of Bliss
I decided to give thanks and end the year in the sunshine by painting A Garden of Bliss on our pool house at Emerald Bay and dedicating it in my heart to the late, great Mr. Vincent D’Aguilar.