I adore all of the seasons that the upper Midwest offers. The joys and challenges of storms and cold and wind and rain are all as important to the texture of my observational soul as is the interaction with the many creatures I share my environment with. This Spring morning is gifting me a rich bombardment of color and detail from blossom to bird – from deep umber laden earth to the Monet pallet of the Virginia Bluebell flower. And the light and color are courting each other with the passionate dance of new lovers. Rains have left everything rich and sparkling with fractured light and a male rose breasted grosbeak sits in the blossoming cherry adding his splash of red to the mix. Lord, I do thank you for such wealth.

We all love the notion of a fresh start — the idea that we can put aside all of the missed opportunities and unfinished plans or projects, dissolve all of the regrets, and edit all of the things we should have said or done…or not. We pick a day on the calendar and deem that the moment for the clean slate. Unfortunately, that make for a really loaded and intense restart. I wind up feeling a growing apprehension weeks before the day because I have just made it a deadline and a piled on huge pressure to succeed with the makeover. That almost sabotages the effort before I begin.
Maybe we just need to take a deep breath. If I didn’t get something done before the end of the year it doesn’t mean I failed, or that it is too late to do now, or that my time management skills are lacking, or that I am somehow lessened personally by the passing of time. Fresh starts are just meant to refresh our efforts. We can do that anytime…on a Tuesday afternoon in any given week in any month we pick. We can resolve to act more loving, to speak more civilly, to drink more water, to paint a little more, …you see? So Happy New Year and Happy Fresh Start, whenever and as often as you choose to.

Looks like things are working well. Thanks all.

The sun is shining, wind is blowing, and colors are bright and saturated. It’s a painterly kind of day.

I was asked a thoughtful question this evening. The question, “How do I get in the mood to do my art? By the end of the day I am wiped out. I miss indulging my creative side though.” Continue reading “Worth thinking about.”

Over the years I have periodically been remiss in how much time I have spent making art. Sometimes I just get lazy. Rarely an intentional choice, usually it is just a subtle easing up on the discipline that is vital for successful production.
Continue reading “Establishing new patterns”