We'll travel miles and miles to see the sights in a distant city, yet we often don't bother with what's in our own backyard. Funny, isn't it? I lived in Sydney (Australia) for years before I got around to actually visiting the Opera House, and then it was only because I had a visitor from overseas who wanted to see it. And I know half a dozen people who've lived in New York all their lives and never been to the top of the Empire State building.

There's a world-famous art gallery just down the road from me, and I've never actually been inside the place. Can you believe it? Yet when I'm travelling, you can't keep me out of art galleries. I love buying stuff, and bringing it home, and I'm forever rearranging my walls and pedestals, showcasing the treasures I've found in faraway places. A couple of years ago, I bought a lovely fountain in Sedona, only to discover that the sculptor who created it actually lives here in Tucson!

Lots of artists live here, and Maurice Sevigny is one of them.

I have been in love with Maurice's work ever since I saw one of his watercolors reproduced on a note-card. I'm drawn to the vivid colors and the bold style, the vibrant reds and blues and yellows. You only have to look at one of his paintings, and you feel happy. Maurice is Dean of the School of Fine Arts at the University of Arizona (and he's also a descendant of Mme de Sevigny, which impresses me no end) and when he invited me to his studio to preview his collection prior to an open house, I jumped at the opportunity.

So here we are, doing art.

The painting in the photograph is called, Marbles. And if you think this is gorgeous, you should see the two we bought.