Desert Winter

Yesterday I got some very unfortunate news that I can't share because it would violate somebody's privacy. It was not a surprise to me but it was also not good, very not good. It was a life changer. (I am okay by the way, so it wasn't about me.) Anyhow, it did rock my personal boat and cause me to look more deeply into my life. I realized how truly important painting is to me, and even more, hanging out with my painting friends. Today I went to open studio at Studio UFO and shared what was going on with my good friends there. They were so supportive and loving. It reminded me how lucky I am to have friends that are so close and so understanding.

Lately I had been kind of marking time artistically. I had been fiddling with old canvases and making some changes to them but not really working on anything that I cared about. In addition to the not so good news, I got some good news that my work will be on display next June at Allied Arts. I submitted my desert paintings for one of their shows and will be sharing the limelight with three other artists during the month of June. That made me decide to wake up and begin to really paint again.

So to today... and a continuation of a partially completed painting that I started on April 24, 2013. I had worked on it once since then and didn't take any photos. And then it sat in my studio waiting for me to return and work some more on it. Today I did that. And I had a very satisfying session painting. I like where this is going. It is close to finished. And it takes me back to my desert series that I plan to show next June.

So here it is. Fat and juicy! A painting from our trip back home to Bellingham from Las Vegas last January. I believe this was in Idaho but I'm not quite sure. It was during our trip home that I took the reference photo for this painting.

Helena is cooking dinner tonight. We are all having a quiet evening together. I am ready for some happy family time together. It is turning out really wonderful to have Helena here with us. She is having fun with us and is exploring her own art of paper based projects. I am so glad she is with us.