Post-Election Day
…and Reflection Day
We did it!! We re-elected Janet Mills as governor, and across the board Dems did better than projected. It feels good to be on the other size of it and writing again after a longer than usual break, even though at the moment my 6 month old is in my lap trying to slap the keyboard. This may take more time than usual! But reflecting in type always is such a meditative moment for me regardless.
We are officially moving into holiday season! Halloween is over, Election Day is behind us, the clocks have been moved back, and the cold weather is upon us. October flew by with the gorgeous color of changing leaves and the weather still warm.
I continue to enjoy my time at home with Ona and experimenting with new styles in the studio. Speaking of Ona, she is doing amazingly well. She is getting to be a big girl and so engaged in her surroundings. She is starting to sleep well again after a few weeks of regression and she’s even letting Morgan put her down at night. We hope this means progress toward my eventual freedom aka going out at night someday?! The only two times I ever tried it I had to come flying home to save the traumatized babysitter.
With the prospect of gaining more time away from the home I am starting to think about other ways to bring in revenue. I’m in the process of planning some exciting new workshops for 2023 and building some momentum with the ultimate dream of forming my own workshop retreats someday. I’m also acknowledging that I need to make the most of the few hours I’m able to steal away to my studio while being a stay-at-home mom. I’ve been experimenting with paintings on panel with the thought that I can dash off a stand alone piece here and there to offer up on Etsy. Lately, I’ve been getting back to basics and playing with figure painting and realistic shadow and light. So far, the work is full of texture and brushstroke, monochromatic or muddier colors, and loosely rendered figures. My theme revolves around reflections and it’s given me a focus for the few pieces I’ve been working on.
I’ve really been enjoying experimenting with a piece of clay board I bought. It’s a fascinating surface to work on and is somewhat soft allowing for a slight carving into the surface if you want to. I’ve been working with gouache and charcoal and came up with a painting that I think is pretty interesting. I plan to pick up more clay board soon, but in the meantime I have plenty of panels to prep for paintings in acrylic.
It’s late now (as you might recall it takes me many different attempts throughout the day to get one of these entries done) and I need to go to bed. I really want to elaborate on the “focus” idea… I’ll hash that out in a future entry. So stay tuned… It’s a real can of worms!
In the meantime, goodnight all you creatives and curiosity-seekers. Your art is worthwhile! May it keep you healthy, may it keep you honest, and may it be with you until your dying day.
