July comes to end with me putting the final touches on my work for the annual exhibition on Martha's Vineyard at Cousen Rose Gallery, which opens August 16th. It has been a busy month with the opening of my work in a group show at Pierre Paul Art Gallery in Ann Arbor, MI. It has been a big achievement for me to have my work represented by such a great gallery. The gallery on the Vineyard is only open for the summer season, whereas the Ann Arbor gallery is year round. With my birthday just ending July 29th, I am ready for my new solar year. Today was the day to put the final varnish on the oil paintings. The effect of varnish is the enhancement of the colors and their relationship to one another. The actual painting process leaves an uneven quality of shine and tone in the brushstrokes, which are brought together more with a final varnish. I am happy with the finished painting entitled "Luzes do Brazil", because it captures a whimsical and graphic combinations of brushstrokes. This painting reflects a summer sunset on the bay in Salvador, Bahia. The view is from a private sailboat that belonged to our friend Ricardo who was also the captain.