Rachel wins Opera Idol Finalist & Also Finds her "Songbird"!

TWO FABULOUS THINGS!

~With the esteemed Judges of the evening~

1. Last night was wonderful. I was selected by the audience and judges as winner of the semi- final round of Opera Idol! Everyone sounded truly fantastic and it was an honor to be chosen from among such great artists last evening! 

However, this year - I will be double booked on the night of the finals~ (It is the same weekend that I will be competing at the Florida Grand Opera!) so they informed me that next year, I will advance directly to the final round of this wonderful competition that Sherrill Milnes has created. 

What an honor! Thank you to the judges, who were in charge of 60% of the decision, and thank you to the audience who covered the other 40%! 

2. The Sparrow has found her Songbird!

The other development I am ecstatic about is that I have found my Sparrow! While searching online for a little sparrow songbird to use in thank-you notes... I found the perfect image! I am SO thrilled and grateful to have found the artist Krislyn Dillard! She has a WONDERFUL collection PLEASE go check out her artwork! (and buy some!)  Here is my little sparrow, in grey, and in color! I simply LOVE this beautiful watercolor and the joyous flight and soul that Krislyn so expertly enlivened this little sparrow with! This little bird just brightens my soul every time I look at it! Watch Krislyn draw, or follow Krislyn on Twitter!  I LOVE it!! It is going to be a part of all of my stationary from here on out!

Description of the sparrow by the artist, Krislyn Dillard: 
(Watercolor painting of a sparrow with her wings wide as she takes off into the air.)
"Not long ago I was riding in the car with my husband when the Simon and Garfunkel song "Sparrow" came on. It is pretty amazing how music can inspire the creative mind. The song is beautiful yet ends tragically. Several days later it came back to me. In the spirit of the song yet with my own vision I set out to paint the little sparrow back to life. I was so successful I painted two more. Here you have the results of those efforts and so I am selling them together as a little triptych series."