Tag: life

Time to move forward!

June 6, 2026

You have seen me struggle to navigate some of life’s speedbumps over the last year ‘plus’ but I am in the process of wrapping up the last loose ends. Finally! And boy am I SO ready to kick up the rpm a notch or two and move ahead with things.

I got my eye cataracts issues (the last speedbump on the list) resolved last month and have now resumed the ability to paint without holding a magnifying glass between me and a canvas. It is glorious. I still need to go have a new set of glasses made with whatever my prescription is at this point so I can stop wearing an outdated (maybe 6 years old) pair of glasses I scrounged out of the bottom drawer.

So… what is on the docket now? That’s a good question.

I am astounded at how far behind I have gotten with day to day ‘stuff’. Maybe I should spend the next year cleaning my house, selling and gifting unnecessary household clutter, finding my gardens again, and overhauling all my business footprint. BUT, summer heat is upon us and life is far too short to be so myopic as to miss another precious moment with misdirected priorities. So, I am going to try and fold the catching-up and the new adventures together.

There are new marriages to honor, birthdays to celebrate, historical lectures to give on northern shores, fish to be caught, campfires to contemplate, and art to make.

Oh, as for what these pictures allude to, I am framing up a modest collection of work for a one-woman show coming up. Stay tuned and I will pop the announcement up here — probably tomorrow. Whee ….. and we’re off!

Promises Kept

April 20, 2025

Sometimes we make a promise to ourselves, to a family member, to a friend, or to a new acquaintance with the very best of intentions. Then something gets in the way and we don’t fulfill that promise – at least in the timely manner that we intended.

I am embarrassed to admit that happens more often than it should. Life gets in the way. Excuses grow as we are distracted. The letter that I meant to write goes unsent. The coffee date I had been meaning to have doesn’t get scheduled. The painting I started remains on the easel unfinished. When I realize that I’ve done it yet again, I am humbled and more determand to behave better in the future, and I ask that friend or new acquaintance or even my own heart to forgive me and allow me to begin again with grace. Life is too short to carefully pack all those little guilt nuggets into a bag and carry them.

I occasionally do historical events where I take my paintings to show and share. It’s one of my greatest joys to work on a painting in public and talk with the people who come through.

Recently I had begun a painting at home right before one of my events. (see process images 1-5 above) I took that painting and worked on it there. (see process image 6 above)Typical of an event where there’s a good turnout with a lot of people, I get less painting done and more talking done. Ordinarily it’s not a problem. I know that when I get home I’ll finish the painting and go on to the next one. This time, however, I started a conversation with some wonderful children from a family about the painting. The little girl in particular kept coming back to see how far along I had gotten. I was not progressing very fast and I even apologized that I was talking more than I was painting. She was very kind and patient and when it was time for her family to leave the event I said, “I tell you what! I will finish this painting when I get home and I will make a comment in my post just for you.”

Circumstances have not allowed me to get that painting done and fulfill that promise the way I should have. A couple days ago I got an email from her mom asking if I had finished it. It was said with such kindness and grace and reminded me the very great importance of promises kept.

The place I chose to paint is of a particular shoreline on Madeline Island, Wisconsin. This is one of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. I have personally enjoyed going there after a hot day talking about art and history at the Madeline Island History Museum in LaPointe. There is a peace and a sense of renewal at this place that reminds me of all the peace that comes from forgiving ourselves for falling short of our intentions.

I hope you will enjoy today’s 40″ x 16″ oil on canvas painting, entitled ‘Promises Kept’ in honor of Rose.