Artist of the Month - Corrina Thurston

Here's another chance to check out my Artist of the Month for July - Corrina Thurston.  For those of you who haven't signed up for my Monthly Newsletter, each month, I try to shine a spotlight on the artwork of one of my artist colleagues, through my networks at Etsy, FineArtAmerica, ArtFlakes, and Facebook.  Hopefully, this will introduce my readers and fans to the artwork of someone they may not normally come to find, while at the same time, introducing these artists to a new audience.  As I was scanning through my circles, followers, and associates on Etsy, FineArtAmerica, and ArtFlakes, I was intrigued and inspired by Corrina's story.  Corrina is 21 years old, and has only been drawing for about two years.  She has been fighting a number of illnesses for the past three years, including Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome, which will take her years to recover from.  Due to her illness, she is no longer able to attend college, or be employed, so she took up drawing (and painting) to occupy her time and act as a therapy.  Her favorite medium is colored pencil.  In addition to her Etsy Shop, she also has a website and a Facebook page.  She updates the Facebook page regularly and that is probably the best way to contact her and keep up to date regarding her artwork and showings. So, here are some links to her various pages, along with a sampling of her artwork. Click on any of the image texts to go over to her Etsy Shop.

Facebook page:  Corrina A. Thurston Studios

Website:   Corrina Thurston Studio

Custom Pet Portrait in Graphite

Ocelot Giclee Print

Custom Pet Portrait in Graphite

Monthly Specials!!!

Well, there's a lot going on this month, so I'll give a little re-cap here.  First of all, there is the Special Offer just for my Facebook Fans.  Click here to find out more about this offer.  Here's a little hint:  Can you say BOGO?   This Special Offer expires July 31, 2012.

Newborn

July Special for Etsy Shoppers - 20% OFF!  Take a break from the heat, and take 20% OFF on all of your purchases through my Etsy Shop this month!   Simply use the COUPON CODE:  LTT904 once you have completed your purchase to take advantage of this offer.  Click here, or on "Newborn" to go over to my Etsy Shop and begin browsing.
Offer expires:  July 31, 2012

Boots

July Special for FineArtAmerica - 20% OFF!  In addition to the Etsy promotion above, you can also enjoy 20% OFF Prints and Note Cards purchased through my FineArtAmerica Gallery. These reduced rates are valid now through July 31, 2012. Use the Discount Code: GDPDBZ upon checkout to take advantage of this offer.  Click here, or on "Boots" to go to my gallery at FineArtAmerica.

Remembering Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith, 1926 - 2012

I'm sure everyone remembers The Andy Griffith Show, where Sheriff Andy Taylor played straight-man to some of the most memorable situation comedy characters of its' time, like Floyd the Barber, Gomer Pyle, Ernest T. Bass, and of course, his unforgettable second-banana, Barney Fife.   Mayberry may not have existed, but it was sort of patterned after Griffith's home town of Mt. Airy, North Carolina.  I even remember the episode of Make Room for Daddy, starring Danny Thomas, in which Thomas' character is stopped for speeding in a small Southern town.  It may or may not have been called Mayberry, and although Griffith played the County Sheriff, he may or may not have been named Andy Taylor.  Those facts I don't remember.  I do remember that when Thomas' character, Danny Williams, wanted to protest the fine, he took his complaint to the courthouse, where the justice of the peace just happened to be Andy Griffith's character.  And when he wanted to take it even further, and write a complaint to the local newspaper, the editor was you-know-who (Andy).  It was a very funny episode, and was received so well, that it ended up being the pilot to spin off The Andy Griffith Show.  Both shows were produced by Sheldon Leonard, who by the way played the bartender in It's a Wonderful Life.  You'll also see him as a villain in many B Westerns of the 40's, before he became one of the most successful producers of early television.  And did you know that the friendship of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, who played Barney Fife, started way before The Andy Griffith Show?  One of Griffith's early successes was No Time for Sergeants, a story about a country boy in the United States Air Force, which started out as a one hour teleplay for the United States Steel Hour in March of 1955, and co-starred Nick Adams (The Rebel) and Don Knotts.  It was then expanded to a full length theatrical version which ran on Broadway, and earned Andy Griffith a Tony Award Nomination.  Finally, in 1958, it was made into a movie.  No Time for Sergeants is also considered the inspiration for Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., starring Jim Nabors, and was itself a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show, and was probably also produced by Sheldon Leonard. 

Prior to these successes, Andy Griffith was a monologist in his early career, much in the tradition of Will Rogers.  You can't really call him a stand-up comic, because he didn't deliver jokes.  He told stories.  And they were hysterical stories, like What it Was, Was Football.  Here he's a backwoods country boy trying to figure out what the heck is going on at a football game. It is a classic routine, which ranks right up there with Abbott and Costello's Who's on First? I know, I'm dating myself, and even though I was either very young or not even born when these bits were done, they were two of my favorites growing up.