Time for a Pause

Things have been quiet on the art front here recently. For the past several weeks I have been busy taking care of long overdue chores like staining/water sealing all the outdoor furniture. The sun and salt air take a toll on the wood and I’ve neglected maintenance for a couple summers now. I was under the gun to get things done because I had to have some surgery last week and will be taking things easy for another six weeks or so. I’ve had to put a solo show on the back burner and limit some other art activity. Mandatory down time. I chafe at it.

I’m relegated, for a little while, to working in sketchbooks, sitting in the sunshine and directing others to fetch and carry for me. Not a bad life for a short time, but everywhere I look I see something I want to do and cannot.

I’m so very fortunate to have a fantastic support team of my husband and my daughter and sister, who have separately traveled hundreds of miles and tag-teamed in to help care for me. I’ll make sure they sneak in a little beach time too. Bless them and friends who have checked in and sent me healing wishes. I feel deeply grateful and loved.

I hadn’t had time to get my garden in, so my hard-working kid played in the dirt, shopped and then planted so I will have fresh herbs and veggies all summer long. I just sat around and told her what to do. I highly recommend that kind of gardening. Doesn’t it look great?

My sister and I are hoping to spend some time together in the studio over the next week. She can do the bending and stretching and I can wave a paintbrush around. We’re thinking of a collaborative project, words and images, maybe a call and response sort of thing, both working on the same finished product. We will let it evolve as it will and maybe record our thoughts and banter as we go. We think we are clever and amusing; maybe you will too. I hope I can show you the results of that next weekend.

Today, I’ll be exercising patience (not my strong suit) rather than my creative muscle and enjoying being waited upon as best I can.

Thanks again for hanging out with me here, I greatly appreciate you.