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	<title>Lesley Spanos Art</title>
	<link>http://spanosart.com</link>
	<description>Notes from the Midwest</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:53:15 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>18</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Superbowl has come to Indianapolis, and to commemorate it, I present my first football painting, ever! I&#8217;ve always longed to paint the game, but the NFL is extremely protective of their rights (as they should be), so that&#8217;s a line I&#8217;ve never crossed.  I&#8217;m able to take my camera into games, so I have [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2012/01/22/number-18/</link>
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		<title>It&#8217;s What I Eat For Breakfast</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The idea for painting breakfast comes from Carol Marine&#8217;s Paint Your Breakfast Challenge on Daily Paintworks. For me, breakfast is the same every morning: 4% fat cottage cheese mixed with freshly ground flax seed and a variety of oils  &#8211; flax, hemp, fish, and coconut. I like the stuff, but my husband can barely choke [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2012/01/10/what-i-eat-for-breakfast/</link>
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		<title>Parisian Waitress</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I couldn&#8217;t resist painting  a portrait of this lovely waitress from a photo taken by artist/photographer/traveler/blogger Lee Brown. Lee generously lends some of his travel photos to artists in the context of his ADNW painting challenges. Participants get one month to submit their interpretations of his image.  There&#8217;s some cool stuff already posted. Go see [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/10/01/parisian-waitress/</link>
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		<title>Every Stroke Counts</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A little exercise never hurts. This painting exercise called the Limited Stroke Challenge was posted by artist Nancy Colella on Daily Paintworks. It&#8217;s purpose is twofold:  She wanted us to use every stroke efficiently, and to remind us not to be stingy with the paint. Nancy says, &#8220;The result will be a rather abstract, simple [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/09/20/every-stroke-counts/</link>
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		<title>Sunflower Medley</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The hubby bought me sunflowers again, so I painted them. The red ones came from an Amish woman at the farmer&#8217;s market, and the yellow ones were from Fresh Market. In other news, Liquitex added more of my acrylic paintings to their Inspire site: Bumble Bee Bop, Rivalry, Portrait of the Chicken as a Young [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/09/17/sunflower-medley/</link>
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		<title>Stanley Steamer &#8211;  sketch</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;d never seen a steam-powered car fired up until I saw this one. It was in the daily parade at the Indiana State Fair, it&#8217;s shiny red paint gleaming in the sun. When I looked up Stanley Steamer Motor Carriage Company on Wikipedia, I found a photo of this car in the article. Not just [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/09/15/stanley-steamer-car/</link>
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		<title>Flare</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This is a harness racing horse I saw at the State Fair a couple of years ago. It&#8217;s painted in M. Graham gouache. I love gouache!  The matte surface is so velvety. I&#8217;d use it more often, if it didn&#8217;t require framing under glass.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/09/13/flare/</link>
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		<title>Holiday Road</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Funny how some paintings grow on you. When I finished this one a few weeks ago, I didn&#8217;t think it was up to my standards. I was going to wipe it off and start over. But it had so freaking much paint on it. Wiping it would have created a toxic mess. So I put [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/09/10/holiday-road/</link>
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		<title>Redear Sunfish</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This painting proves that just about any subject can be found at the State Fair if you look around enough. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has a beautiful display of fish at the Indiana State Fair. Outdoor ponds and indoor aquariums showcase native and introduced species.  There&#8217;s even a catch and release fishing pond [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/09/09/redear-sunfish/</link>
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		<title>Chocolate Eclair</title>
		<description><![CDATA[How many starving children can be fed with one chocolate eclair? I&#8217;m listing this little painting on The Daily Paintworks Help the Children of Africa Challenge. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to World Vision to help feed drought-stricken children in Africa. Here&#8217;s how it works: The painting is up for auction on the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/09/04/chocolate-eclair/</link>
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		<title>Goatee</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I never really thought about the source of the word &#8220;goatee,&#8217; until I saw this guy. He had quite a nice beard, long, silky, and clean. Here are a few shots taken along the way:]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/09/02/goatee/</link>
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		<title>Stare Down</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Chickens scare me a little. I&#8217;m glad this one was locked safely behind bars at the State Fair. Though, if looks could kill&#8230; Any chicken experts out there know what breed this is? When I took the photos, I thought it was a Salmon Faverolle, but when I checked my photos against images on the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/08/28/staredow/</link>
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		<title>Twenty Lashes</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This pig had amazing eyelashes,  hence the title. This is another ink drawing done live at the fair, with color added in the studio.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/08/25/twenty-lashes/</link>
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		<title>Feed Me</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The sign actually said, &#8220;Please hold hand flat when feeding,&#8221; but the goat&#8217;s eyes said, &#8220;Please feed me.&#8221; The key to photographing petting zoo animals is to carry a few pellets in your hand and wave them around every so often. Otherwise, you&#8217;ll be ignored. These animals have no patience for anyone not bearing a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/08/24/feed-me/</link>
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		<title>The Buzz</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It seems like months since these happy little bees rolled into the state fairgrounds on the back of a truck, but really, it was just over two weeks ago. My husband was over at fairgrounds as the carnival rides were arriving for the fair, and snapped some photos of the unassembled Bumble Bee Bop ride  [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/08/19/the-buz/</link>
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		<title>For Luck</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Thought I&#8217;d try a more subdued palette for these water lilies. These plants were part of an indoor Japanese garden at the Indiana State Fair last year. Further proof that I can find just about any subject at the fair. Speaking of my state fair, it opens next week. I keep a running list of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/07/29/for-luck/</link>
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		<title>Cherries and Blue Cheese</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This was my lunch a couple of days ago &#8211; a small wedge of Castello-Rosenborg Danish Blue Cheese and some ripe cherries. It was a miserably hot day when I took my plate outside to photograph it, which made the cheese get all melty. Mmmm! These cherries are painted larger than life. Here are some [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/07/27/cherries-and-blue-cheese/</link>
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		<title>Wisteria</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Another one for the &#8220;The Color Of Music Challenge&#8221; I&#8217;m hosting on Daily Paintworks this week. I am so impressed by what the artists have posted so far. Really cool paintings, and I love the stories. The music I&#8217;ve used is my favorite song of all time, &#8220;Wisteria.&#8221;  I could get married, buried, and everything [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/07/17/wisteria/</link>
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		<title>Life Becoming</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This week I&#8217;m hosting the painting challenge on Daily Paintworks. It&#8217;s called &#8220;The Color Of Music,&#8221;  and you&#8217;re invited to play along! The idea is to paint a favorite piece of music, converting sound to pigment. My song choice, &#8220;Life Becoming,&#8221; comes from a long-time favorite album by Michael Nesmith called &#8220;The Garden.&#8221;   This mostly [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/07/16/3637/</link>
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		<title>Summer Yellow</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This pretty sunflower and its five friends currently reside on my work table, thanks to my wonderful husband. Usually I paint from printouts or my monitor, but this one was painted from life thanks to the impending demise of my computer.  Poor thing has been overheating and locking up every few minutes and generally making [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/07/13/summer-yellow/</link>
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		<title>Dusk on the Midway</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Dusk is my favorite time to photograph the midway. As blue skies deepen, the lights begin to sparkle. The hot, humid day gives way to cooling breezes, and the grandstand pulses to the beat of an American Idol. There&#8217;s a little extra excitement in the air. We&#8217;re going to have some fun tonight! This is [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/07/07/dusk-on-the-midway/</link>
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		<title>Stripes, and Stars</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Every year I pass this colorful little tent at my state fair, and have the same &#8220;gotta paint this&#8221; reaction. So I photograph it, and file it away. This 4th of July weekend seemed like the perfect time to finally get it done. I&#8217;m experimenting here in painting on a metallic gold-toned surface. I was [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/07/01/usa-stripes-and-stars/</link>
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		<title>Crinkle Fries</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s another painting of something I can&#8217;t eat. I loved these things when I still ate white potatoes. These days I have a new love &#8211; sweet potato fries! OMG, they are so good! Much tastier than white potato fries, and they barely raise my blood sugar. I serve them with a garlicky dipping sauce [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/06/29/crinkle-cut-fries/</link>
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		<title>Caramel Apple, No Nuts</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Ten years ago this week, I gave up sugar forever. So I&#8217;ll celebrate by painting apples covered in caramelized sugar. I used to love these things! Ate a lot of them as a kid growing up next to a ten acre apple orchard. My mom would melt Kraft caramels in a double boiler with a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/06/26/carmel-apples-no-nuts/</link>
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		<title>Voyeur</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This piece was created for the Daily Paintworks Balance Challenge hosted by Cathleen Rehfeld. Here are Cathleen&#8217;s guidelines for the challenge: The challenge is to create a stack of something that is balanced, in many ways. Literally balancing things on top of other things, and balance in color, color compliments, neutrals and bright color, composition, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/06/20/voyeur-apple-pair/</link>
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		<title>Like Moths</title>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Like moths to a flame, they gather. This is another image from the Indiana State Fair balloon glow. The unusual flat-bottomed shape of this hot air balloon hints at its purpose. It&#8217;s a promotional balloon shaped like a giant can of Pepsi. This painting is available on Zatista, where I&#8217;m starting to list some [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/06/19/like-moths/</link>
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		<title>Firefly Glow</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Never in my life have I painted outdoors at night with only a headlamp for light. This isn&#8217;t the best painting ever, but I am patting myself on the back for even trying it. Our back yard is registered as a firefly habitat with the Museum of Science (Boston) Firefly Watch. They&#8217;re working with researchers [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/06/17/firefly-glow/</link>
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		<title>Glow</title>
		<description><![CDATA[My state fair features &#8211; weather permitting &#8211; a hot air balloon race, with a balloon glow on the racetrack infield the evening before. Before this night, I&#8217;d seen balloon glows from a distance, but this was the first time I&#8217;d ever walked through one. I was awestruck. What a difference it made, being under [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/06/15/glow/</link>
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		<title>Rivalry</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Their trappings are bright and colorful, yet their faces are frozen in eternal screams. I can hear them when I paint them. Yet in all my hours photographing carousels, I&#8217;ve never seen a child shy away from them. This is a warmup sketch for a larger painting. Lately my painting has been too timid and [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/06/10/rivalry/</link>
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		<title>Ragdoll Princess</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Some girls just know they&#8217;re beautiful. She goes by the call name &#8220;LB,&#8221; and she&#8217;s one of the prettiest cats I&#8217;ve ever seen.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/06/08/ragdoll-princess-cat/</link>
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		<title>Gift Worthy</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Confession: I&#8217;ve always wanted to paint a gift wrapped up in shiny ribbons, but it&#8217;s an iconic subject for some artists, and therefore one I stay away from. If you want to see what I mean, check out Karen Appleton&#8217;s work. Or Carol Marine, who does awesome bowage. (My word.) When Carol offered The Gift [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/06/05/gift-worthy-present/</link>
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		<title>Bumble Bee Bop</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Bumble Bee Bop. I love that name! It sounds like something adult bees do to make baby bees. It&#8217;s actually a kiddie ride found in carnivals and small amusement parks. Those goofy, cheerful bees have been calling to my paintbrushes for some time now. If you want to see photos of this painting in progress, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/30/bumble-bee-bop/</link>
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		<title>Bronc</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This bronc in a holding pen at the State Fair rodeo caught my eye. He stood with his head held high, watching the action in the arena. His long mane caught the last rays of light from the setting sun. He was magnificent. Here are a few images taken along the way:]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/29/bronc/</link>
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		<title>Shades</title>
		<description><![CDATA[After a week of painting pets, we&#8217;re back to the State Fair. This bronc rider had the rodeo in his eyes, or at least in his mirrored sunglasses. Here are some photos taken along the way:]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/27/shade/</link>
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		<title>Three Way</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The two on the right were obviously roommates. I&#8217;d been following them around the local farmer&#8217;s market with my camera, amused by the big dog/small dog combo, when the third dog was introduced to them. Much sniffing ensued, numbers were exchanged, and everyone went home satisfied.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/25/3093/</link>
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		<title>Little Big Dog</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I love little dogs like this. So full of joy, and supremely confident. It&#8217;s like they don&#8217;t know how small they are. Even when they approach my big dog, who towers over them by a good twenty inches.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/22/little-big-dog/</link>
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		<title>Little Meow Meow</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This little cutie comes from the Daily Paintworks Whole Cat &#38; Kaboodle challenge presented by artist Dreama Tolle Perry. I&#8217;ve had the urge to paint a cat lately (that&#8217;s one thing I don&#8217;t see at the State Fair), so I had fun with it. I like how the cat in Dreama&#8217;s reference photo was sitting [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/21/little-meow-meow/</link>
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		<title>Blue Angels</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I swear that if 100 photographers at 100 different air shows pointed their lenses at the US Navy&#8217;s Blue Angels demonstration team, 50 of them would come up with a shot similar to mine, and some would be so much alike you&#8217;d have to overlay them to tell the difference. This seems to be the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/18/blue-angels/</link>
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		<title>The Palladium</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This is the newly built Palladium, a 1600 seat concert hall in Carmel-by-the-Interstate, Indiana. Those of you who remember your art history might notice its resemblance to Andrea Palladio&#8217;s (1508-1580) La Rotunda. Palladio was also influential in the field of theater design as the architect of the Olympic Theater, which still stands in Vicenza. The [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/17/the-palladium/</link>
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		<title>Climber Boy</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Earlier I painted a girl climbing the rock wall at the State Fair.  Here&#8217;s her male counterpart. I like how boldly he attacked the wall.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/15/climber-boy/</link>
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		<title>Big Guy</title>
		<description><![CDATA[After spending so much time painting the carousel horses, I thought it would be fun to find a real horse in a similar pose and paint it. Scrolling through my State Fair photo archives, I found a shot of this giant fellow. Ah, yes, I remember him. He was magnificent, prancing, straining against the bit, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/10/big-guy/</link>
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		<title>By a Nose</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I began this painting on Kentucky Derby day in honor of all horses who run in circles. I didn&#8217;t expect it to be a three-day painting! The details really grabbed me. This painting is available on the Daily Paintworks auction. Auction ends next Monday, and I&#8217;m starting it at a low price  of $100. Here [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/07/winner-by-a-nose/</link>
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		<title>Me, 3</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When my husband saw this painting in the studio last night, he asked, &#8220;Why do you always look so serious in your self portraits?&#8221; Thinking about my last post &#8211; &#8220;I always look a little POed in self portraits&#8221; &#8211; I replied with another question: &#8220;Did you read that in my blog?&#8221; &#8220;No, I just [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/06/me-3/</link>
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		<title>Me, 2</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I always look a little POed in self portraits. Not sure why, because I have every opportunity to soften the features. Plus, I&#8217;m wearing my favorite sweater, one with lots of fringe that always makes me happy.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/05/03/me-2/</link>
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		<title>Me, 2011</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Other than my hair being a mess, today seemed like a good day for a self portrait. My new Alzo Digital color corrected studio bulbs arrived, and I was eager to  try them on painting from life. I haven&#8217;t been using daylight bulbs, and I really should, especially when I&#8217;m color correcting images for print [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/04/29/me-2011/</link>
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		<title>Clutches</title>
		<description><![CDATA[There&#8217;s a little game I like to play to challenge myself when painting people. As I work on the initial composition, I ask myself &#8220;How much information can I eliminate, and still tell this person&#8217;s story?&#8221; This forces me to narrow my focus, and hone in on what drew me to the scene in the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/04/28/clutche/</link>
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		<title>Ribbons</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One of my favorite times to wander the fairgrounds is early morning, before the crowds arrive. Just after sunrise, the world is a painter&#8217;s delight,&#160; all pink and yellow with delicate lavender shadows. Most of the activity is in the barn area. Stalls are cleaned, their occupants taken out for exercise, and feed tubs are [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/04/26/ribbons-draft-horse/</link>
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		<title>Pacer</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Watching harness racing at the state fair is like stepping back in time one hundred years.  Makes me feel like I should be wearing a long dress and corset and singing Camptown Races. The Indiana Pacers basketball team is named after these horses. In the early days of the team, they played in the arena [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/04/22/pacer/</link>
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		<title>Jersey Girl</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Found this pretty lady in the dairy barn at the Indiana State Fair. The barn has huge (frosted? dirty?) windows all along the western exposure, which let in a soft, filtered light when the sun is low in the sky. The light produced has a peaceful, ethereal quality which is nice for shooting photographic references [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/04/18/jersey-girl-cow/</link>
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		<title>Red Tulips, Green Leaves</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Soon, our tulips will be gone, so it was time to paint them. When the light shines through them, they look like glowing lanterns. I tried a couple of new things this time: One, a cradled wood panel by American Easel. They&#8217;re very well made, and don&#8217;t need to be framed. I used GAC 100 [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/04/17/red-tulips-green-leaves/</link>
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		<title>Sunflower Memories</title>
		<description><![CDATA[My husband is so cool. Even though we have a yard full of flowers, he brought home sunflowers because we didn&#8217;t have any flowers in the house.  I painted them because there&#8217;s no better way to commit a sight to memory. &#160;]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/04/16/sunflower/</link>
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		<title>Portrait of the Chicken as a Young Cockerel</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This dashing young fellow looked like he was posing for a formal portrait, so I ignored his striking tail feathers and zoomed in on his face. I&#8217;d never painted chickens before this week, but now I wonder what took me so long. They are noble creatures. I feel a little guilty that we&#8217;re having chicken [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/04/11/portrait-of-the-chicken-as-a-young-cockerel/</link>
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		<title>The Protector</title>
		<description><![CDATA[He&#8217;s as fierce as a bald eagle when the nest is threatened. I found this white rooster standing guard over his family at the Indiana State Fair.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/04/09/protector/</link>
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		<title>Climber Girl</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Back in the &#8217;80s, every fair had bungee jumping. In recent years, bungees have been replaced by rock walls. This one was presented by Jeep as part of their Rocks &#38; Road touring exhibit. It&#8217;s a good first time climbing experience for kids, and hopefully will be the start of a lifelong sport for some.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/04/06/climber-girl/</link>
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		<title>1938 Chevy Sedan</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Saw this two-toned 1938 Chevy sedan at a car show, and knew I&#8217;d paint it someday. Tom and Marla, I love your car!]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/04/05/1938-chevy-sedan/</link>
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		<title>Spurred On</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It was almost sunset when this white horse burst out of the chute at the State Fair rodeo with a cowboy clinging to his back. The only way to paint it was to throw caution to the wind and just go for it, just like that horse and rider. Pssst! Don&#8217;t tell the rodeo guys, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/03/31/spurred-on/</link>
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		<title>Krembo</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s another one from the Blue Monkey Sideshow. This is Krembo, the Master of Cermonies, a dashing and authentic figure with his Wild Bill Hickok beard and hair. If you want to see Krembo and all the Monkey Men in action, check out their video below: Pretty cool, huh? Here are a few images taken [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/03/28/krembo/</link>
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		<title>Snoozin&#8217;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It was a hot and humid August day at the Indiana State Fair. This pig raised a lazy eyelid when he heard my camera, then went back to sleep. I guess when you&#8217;re on display from early morning until late at night, you need to be able to catch a nap whenever you can. What [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/03/25/2276/</link>
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		<title>What&#8217;s in the Fridge?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[What&#8217;s in the fridge? Nothing but seawater and decay, if your house has been swept away by a tsunami. No growler of Barley Island beer for the hubby, no Perrier for me, no cherry jam (his), no shirataki noodles (mine). No carefully preserved first crocus of Spring  in a brandy snifter. There&#8217;s something about standing [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/03/21/whats-in-the-fridge/</link>
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		<title>Modern Abe</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Another Daily Paintworks weekly challenge, this time offered by Raymond Logan. For the Lincoln Challenge Raymond supplied us with a black and white photo of Mr. Lincoln that we&#8217;ve seen a thousand times. We had the option of painting in black and white, or color. Since I often paint color from black and white photos [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/03/05/modern-abe/</link>
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		<title>Kitchenaid</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The good folks over at Daily Paintworks have started offering weekly art challenges. Some of my absolute favorite artists on the net are in DPW, so it&#8217;s a real treat to get the opportunity to participate. Each week is like a mini-lesson from a master artist. This week&#8217;s challenge is  the One Color per Stroke [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2011/03/01/kitchenaid/</link>
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		<title>Sideshow</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A new one from my State Fair USA series. These sword-swallowing, bed-of-nails-laying, walking-on-broken-glass,swinging-paint-cans-from-nipples guys are from the Blue Monkey Sideshow, based in Indianapolis. It&#8217;s a fun show and they create an authentic vibe with their costuming and some really cool painted drops. Painting them was great fun, and I&#8217;m sure they&#8217;ll be on my drawing [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/09/03/sideshow/</link>
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		<title>Scrambled</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Still working on my State Fair series, and loving it! My latest painting in the series is taken from a photo I took last summer of people riding the Scrambler after dark. I love how the guy on the left looks like he&#8217;s going to hurl at any moment. I used to feel the same [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/08/12/scrambled/</link>
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		<title>State Fair, USA: New Series &amp; Blog</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Lately I&#8217;ve been feeling that my painting efforts aren&#8217;t focused enough. I bounce around from one painting challenge to another, learning from each, but I&#8217;m not accomplishing much beyond that. I feel the need to do more. I need to focus my efforts on something that&#8217;s 100% me, and when it&#8217;s over, have something more [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/07/24/state-fair-usa-new-series-blog/</link>
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		<title>When Ducks Gossip</title>
		<description><![CDATA[These little rubber duckies in the Duck Pond game seemed to be sharing secrets. Carnies look at you a little weird when you photograph their ducks for too long. I&#8217;m thinking next time I need to placate them by spending some money on their games. Here are a few images captured along the way: Usually [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/07/24/gossip/</link>
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		<title>The Merry Jester</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This is the image that got me interested in doing a State Fair series. I love how the carving sparkles. My favorite time to photograph an outdoor carousel is around sunset. That&#8217;s when it comes to life, when it&#8217;s just dark enough for the glow of the bulbs to be visible, yet there&#8217;s still enough [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/07/11/jester/</link>
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		<title>Pop-Up Showers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The local weather people like to forecast &#8220;pop-up showers.&#8221; Cracks me up every time I hear it. I&#8217;m reminded of the old &#8220;Pop-up Videos&#8221; on VH1. This painting shows the aftermath of one of these brief Midwestern storms at the Indiana State Fair a couple of years ago.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/07/10/pop-up-showers/</link>
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		<title>Dogs</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It was early morning at the State Fair, and the food vendors were setting up for the day. This brightly colored hot dog booth glowed in the sunlight. My favorite part was the giant graphic hot dog with mustard displayed on the skirt of the booth. Here are a few shots taken along the way: [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/07/09/dogs/</link>
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		<title>Midway Through</title>
		<description><![CDATA[My first attempt at painting the lights of the midway.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/07/07/midway-through/</link>
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		<title>Candy Apple Reds</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the things I&#8217;ll be painting this summer is Fair Food. My diet is very controlled so I&#8217;m painting things I&#8217;d never dream of putting in my mouth. Like these candied apples, which to me are pretty but deadly. Does anyone really eat these things? When I was a kid, we thought the caramel [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/07/05/candy-apples/</link>
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		<title>Up Stairs</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As I was leaving the fair via the infield tunnel, I spotted some nice clouds at the top of the stairs. I don&#8217;t even think I noticed the lady with the balloon animal at the time.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/07/03/2055/</link>
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		<title>Morning Tram</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Another in my State Fair Series. It was the bit of sunlight on her shoe and leg that made me want to paint this image.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/07/02/morning-tram/</link>
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		<title>Three Sheep</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The biggest challenge here? Trying to get three naked sheep butts to not look too disgusting.]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/07/01/three-sheep/</link>
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		<title>Meander</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This week Bill Guffey&#8217;s Virtual Paintout explores the islands of Hawaii. It was hard to narrow it down to one image out of the fourteen I chose, but eventually I settled on this beach scene in Hau&#8217;ula, Hawaii, on the northeast shore of Oahu: View Larger Map If I could go for a walk on [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/06/29/meander/</link>
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		<title>No. 1059</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Trolley No. 1059 was built in 1948 and acquired by San Francisco in 1992 to become part of their historic streetcar collection. Though it served in Philadelphia, the car is painted to represent the Boston Elevated Railway Co.. Our location is on the Embarcadero at a stop near the Ferry Building, with the Bay Bridge [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/06/15/san-francisco-streetcar-1059/</link>
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		<title>90 on the last 10</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Is it just me, or do other artists spend 90% of their studio time working on the last 10% of the painting? If I painted for ten hours, the piece would look almost finished after one hour. I could slap it into a frame and most people wouldn&#8217;t notice it wasn&#8217;t &#8220;finished.&#8221; They might even [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/05/27/1937/</link>
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		<title>Hey! Google!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This month&#8217;s Virtual Paintout is in the Czech Republic. Finding a subject was difficult for me, until I came across this guy mugging for the Google Street Views camera. I liked him. Here he is on Street Views: View Larger Map I&#8217;ve seen collections of images of girls baring their chests for the Google cameras, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/05/21/hey-google/</link>
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		<title>Gran Canaria Highway</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This one almost ended up in the dumpster. It&#8217;s another piece I started for Bill Guffey&#8217;s Virtual Paintout, but things didn&#8217;t go the way I planned. This time we&#8217;re on the island of Gran Canaria, one of Spain&#8217;s Canary Islands: View Larger Map Such a beautiful place! I want to be on that road driving [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/04/29/gran-canaria-highway/</link>
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		<title>Tenerife Overlook</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Every month I tell myself I should participate in Bill Guffey&#8217;s Virtual Paintout, but I never get past the planning stage. Google&#8217;s Street View is too addicting. I get caught up in wandering the virtual streets looking for the perfect painting location, always sure there&#8217;s a slightly better angle or view just around the corner. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/04/29/tenerife-overlook/</link>
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		<title>Sedona Morning</title>
		<description><![CDATA[What&#8217;s that wretched creaking sound? Must be my rusty painting skills! It seems like all my creative focus lately has been on planning paintings, rather than actually painting. But then along comes a good art challenge, and like the challenge whore I am, I can&#8217;t help but play along. This one is hosted by Lee [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2010/04/14/sedona-morning/</link>
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		<title>Travelin&#8217; Shoes</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This Different Strokes airport travelers challenge reminded me of Elvin Biship&#8217;s song, &#8220;Travelin&#8217; Shoes,&#8221; which I put on repeat as I painted. These days the lyric should be, &#8220;gotta put on my (easy on easy off no metal shank) travelin&#8217; shoes.&#8221; Nothing like some good foot stomping butt swinging music to make the hours fly [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/11/18/travelin-shoes/</link>
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		<title>The View</title>
		<description><![CDATA[My answer to Karin Jurick&#8216;s Different Strokes City Rooftops challenge. Thank you, Karin, for another versatile reference photo. The shot was taken from her hotel room in San Francisco, which reminded of Gerry Beckley&#8217;s (America) &#8220;View From The Hotel&#8221; series of photographs. He shoots the view from every hotel on tour, even if it&#8217;s just [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/10/28/the-view/</link>
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		<title>Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Our Different Strokes From Different Folks challenge subject this week is cupcakes. Now, I love cupcakes, even if I don&#8217;t eat them. In fact, I firmly believe that some of the most exciting things happening in the arts these days are taking place in cupcake world. If you want to see what I mean, take [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/09/11/chocolate-vanilla-cupcakes/</link>
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		<title>First Carousel</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve gone from being indifferent to carousels to slightly obsessed in just one week. I took tons of photographs of a couple of different merry-go-rounds at the Indiana State Fair, and I&#8217;m sure I&#8217;ll be painting more of these fiberglass steeds in the future. Here&#8217;s video of the same carousel I painted: Looks ordinary during [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/08/16/first-carousel/</link>
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		<title>Telegraph Hill</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This was one of those crazy weeks when I thought I&#8217;d never get anything done for the current Different Strokes From Different Folks challenge hosted by Karin Jurick. My first mistake was forgetting to seal the paper before I started painting in oils. The paper sucked all the oils out of the paint and it [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/08/06/simplify-telegraph-hill/</link>
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		<title>Waiting</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This is the latest from Karin Jurick&#8217;s Different Strokes From Different Folks challenge. Though I know this was a figure challenge, what really attracted my eye was the chair on the left. I loved the contrast of textures, the shiny metal and smooth leather. So I copped out and beheaded the poor man so he [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/07/29/chair-man-of-the-bored/</link>
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		<title>Winter Glow</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A little practice piece from the weekend. It&#8217;s been a couple of months since I&#8217;ve had my oils out, so I needed to use them before I forgot how. Snow has always been hard for me, so last winter I took a lot of color notes. Those notes really helped! I must remember to do [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/07/27/winter-glow/</link>
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		<title>Chicago Lifeguard</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s the latest challenge from Karin Jurick&#8217;s Different Strokes From Different Folks. This time we&#8217;re painting a floating lifeguard on Lake Michigan. I wonder what it&#8217;s like out there, isolated on that little boat for hours at a time? Is it a fun way to spend the summer, or the world&#8217;s more boring job? Here [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/07/07/chicago-lifeguard/</link>
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		<title>Stones</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve become a Challenge Whore. I&#8217;ve taken hundreds of photos I could use as reference, yet I roam the net at night, searching for something different to paint. It&#8217;s not that I&#8217;m bored with my own photos. It just seems that I get into a rut when I get to choose every subject. Sometimes I [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/06/29/stones/</link>
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		<title>Concertgoers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[When I saw this beautiful couple at the opening concert of the Symphony On The Prairie season, I knew I had to paint them. In honor of the Grateful Dead theme that night, he wore tie-dye, while she had a &#8217;60s vibe going. Her loose, flowing pants were a colorful floral print (which I didn&#8217;t [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/06/25/concertgoers/</link>
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		<title>Sweet Georgia Grown</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes the paint flows, and sometimes it doesn&#8217;t. This was one of those weeks when the paint was not my friend. When I saw the reference photo on Karin Jurick&#8217;s Different Strokes From Different Folks painting challenge, I thought it would be an easy assigment after the complicated Amish farm scene. I thought I could [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/06/16/sweet-georgia-grown-vegetables/</link>
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		<title>She Brings Lemonade</title>
		<description><![CDATA[She brings lemonade for her man, and water for the horses. Is it any different than when I bring my husband a beer while he&#8217;s working on his Jeep on a hot day? This is another painting for Karin Jurick&#8217;s Different Strokes From Different Folks painting challenge. This time we&#8217;re in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I&#8217;ve never [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/06/03/she-brings-lemonade/</link>
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		<title>New Mexico Adobe</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I can&#8217;t seem to get enough of these art challenges. They so neatly answer the question of &#8220;what should I paint next,&#8221; while forcing me to explore subjects I wouldn&#8217;t normally choose. This painting is my answer to the Wet Canvas Southwest and Western Art forum challenge for May. The photo of an old adobe [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/05/18/new-mexico-adobe/</link>
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		<title>Madison Avenue</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s another painting for Karin Jurick&#8217;s Different Strokes From Different Folks painting challenge. &#160; View Larger Map Karen tells us that our location is the corner of Madison Avenue and 39th Street in New York City. This is useful information, because it allows me to look it up in Google Maps using Street View. I [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/05/14/madison-and-39th/</link>
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		<title>Just Plane Sketching</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Nothing special here, just a little gouache sketch from recent travels to prove that I&#8217;m still alive.  This was what I saw outside the window as I ate lunch in a small airport. The plane was gleaming in the early afternoon sun, and the palm fronds were swaying in a hot breeze. It was all [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/05/06/just-plane-sketching/</link>
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		<title>Boogie Fever, Part One</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve long admired artist Karin Jurick&#8217;s paintings of people relaxing on the beach, so how cool is it to get to paint from one of her beach photos, with her blessing? That was our assignment for weeks 27-28 on Karin&#8217;s Different Strokes From Different Folks online painting challenge. It&#8217;s mega cool, yes, but also intimidating. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/03/27/boogie-fever/</link>
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		<title>Kalifornia Roll</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A California roll is to sushi what Tex-Mex food is to Mexican cuisine &#8211; a Western adaptation of a traditional food using local ingredients more suited to the American palate.  You can find them in shopping malls and supermarkets throughout the US. The California roll is an inside-out roll (Uramaki), with the rice on the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/03/13/kalifornia-roll/</link>
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		<title>The Girls</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I can&#8217;t say that &#8220;Sex and the City&#8221; has ever been one of my favorite television shows. I&#8217;ve laughed at times &#8211; sometimes really hard &#8211; when I&#8217;ve  stumbled across it, but it&#8217;s not anything I&#8217;ve ever gone out of my way to see.  It&#8217;s hard for me to relate to characters who obsess over [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/03/03/the-girls/</link>
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		<title>Chocolate Mousse Heart Cake</title>
		<description><![CDATA[So for Valentine&#8217;s Day, I watched my husband eat cake. We searched several bakeries to find just the right cake. Something oooey-goooey and yummy for him (chocolate, of course), and something visually delightful for me to paint. Don&#8217;t pity me &#8211; we also found a great deal on a couple of small lobster tails for [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/02/25/chocolate-mousse-heart-cake/</link>
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		<title>Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Fortunately I had my camera with me the day I saw this Harley in a parking lot at the Indiana State Fair.  I&#8217;m not a motorcycle person, but this thing was a work of art. It was gorgeous. The chrome was blindingly shiny, reflecting sky and clouds and earth. The painting is small, only 9 [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://spanosart.com/2009/02/19/harley-heritage-soft-tail/</link>
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