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Carmel Art Festival 2016 was a thrilling experience! I won two awards for the painting "Sunset Over Carmel River". The Jennifer Hill Memorial Award was chosen by the board of the art festival, and the honor included a $500 prize.  She was one of the original founders of the event and died of pancreatic cancer several years ago. Each year they give one award in her honor. It seemed especially fitting  and close to my heart due to my own battles with cancer and my work as leader of the cancer support group at our church.

I also won the People's Choice Award, even without any of my family or Santa Cruz art buddies  attending or voting! It includes another $500 prize, but also a full page add in Plein Air Magazine next year with my image, plus a half page in Fine Art Collector, plus all the posters, t-shirts, tote bags and 900 post cards in the plein air convention bags next Spring. It will also be on the cover of next year's Carmel Art Festival's booklet. I was so amazed and still almost in shock. It was all so exciting! I sold it to a collector for Washington DC, and another one of the Carmel Dunes to a friend in the Bay Area. Another couple wants me to do a commission of that same area, as they missed out on bidding by coming back too late Saturday evening. I am so grateful to the Lord for giving me the strength, helping me paint even with my RA and torn vitreous issues, and of course for leading the judges and collectors to choose me for the awards and purchases.