painting in plein air at the Deering Estate in Cutler

looks like my canvas is sprouting leaves

The Plein Air event will continue tomorrow! Great way to spend a beautiful day. If only... I could forget my third grade teacher who told me I could not paint trees!!! It is very frustrating.

Grove House Artists

Doing a Plein Air event tomorrow at the Deering Estate. 10-4 Saturday and 10- 1 Sunday

Come by and see me paint. I'm pretty fast and enjoy company too.

If you think free speech is ugly...

day dreaming strange/normal expectations

you should see the alternative #CharlieHabdo. Strange expectations are setting in with the recent terrorist attack in Paris. Journalists and cartoonists have been shot to death in their office! I heard it has been an increase (last year) record for journalist's harassment, imprisonment, and murder! It happens all over the world now- even in Paris, the cultural capitol of the West. Sirens and censorship will threaten to become the norm. We are a strange species, who kill in the name of a God. Today hundreds of cartoonists draw out in solidarity of the murdered 4 (no- 5!) cartoonists. #Je suis Charlie. I scrapped all pre-plans for my classes and did a lesson on democracy, cartooning, and the real Art of free speech. We raised our pens and had a moment of silence for the victims and their families in France. I will post some of their cartoons tomorrow.
According to twitter- Google is donating $300,000 to CharlieHebdo

Getting my bearings in the classroom

I'm talking too much. New students, new routines, new lesson plans, one period after another until I can barely stand, and I wonder if I'm repeating myself to the same group. They. are. all. in a jumble. After the last bell rang, my thoughts circled around the quote about it "being the space between the letters" that defined typography. And so, in this work, the space defines the page. I sketch so that in the space between teaching I may find myself.

Housecleaning, not

My weary (beginnings of) attempts to put away the holiday clutter, were interrupted by internet surfing.  One of my favorite bloggers, Joel Achenbach,  says it all in his The Post Christmas Purge.

What to do with all the lovely cards?

looking back

My son Max asked me what the highlights of last year were. At first I was blank-minded. It took a moment and some review of my calendar pages. How could I have forgotten? Perhaps it was all the rum punches that erased the cruise in February? Then my little sister, having fallen deeply in love, yet living as far across the country as possible, eloped with "her Michael". It took half a year until the family gathered to celebrate with a party in July! Also, against my instincts, I rented a studio space in an automotive warehouse district. Max found me the perfect studio chair at Goodwill, and I survived months of sauna-like heat to paint and draw after work and on weekends.  Now I am enjoying the space so much, I must apologize for the previous complaining. In addition, I aged: my blood pressure skyrocketed, my thyroid was sluggish, my arch dropped and I entered menopause. A couple graduations, over a dozen house guests and at least as many road trips to St Pete remind me that Time just keeps marching on. I might not remember it all, but it happened!

photo by Michael Gellatly

The two major spiritual lessons in 2014 were the life of Ben and the death of Yvette. Ben was sick and is healed! He is off to study and start a new chapter of his life. I am sure that all our prayers were answered. Yvette fell a couple of times and then died in May just a month before her 90th birthday. She was an example of grace, mischief, and beauty. I am so glad to have known her. Above all else I am thankful for being surrounded by love: my loving good sons, my healthy parents, and the attentions of a loving partner, Michael. And I am glad I can paint. Thank God for art.

Believe and Ask

Sometimes you have to dust off your baggage and ask for what you really want. I was able to do just that, and, as a result, enjoy a really wonderful holiday with both my sons, my Michael, his kids, and my folks. We tried to keep the holiday simple. So of course, it was magical.

If I weren't concerned about the privacy of others, I would post pictures of the long walks, the poetry and song by the tree, the yummy laughter filled and laden tables. I felt and received love. I stood in the place that felt like home. It was short, but very, very nice. May there be some lasting Peace on earth.