Thursday, January 3, 2019

Rusty But Still Satisfying




Oh. My. As in totally out of practice.

Yes, I confess it's been weeks since my last...real effort at art. Life's become a little topsy turvy as we prepare for a move  out of state. I've been all business, trying to cull belongings, sell a house, catch up on work, and say goodbye-for-now to Iowa family and friends with whom I've shared this state all of my life. Though there's an exciting and much anticipated chapter ahead in the SF/Bay area, the stress-o-meter is running a little high right now. 

This week I challenged myself to slow down and draw/paint something...and here's what I came up with. It's rough. It's muddy. It's awful, really. But more importantly, it felt good to do it, and I especially liked what I wrote. I cropped the bottom of the image, but here's the rest: 

"...reflected sunlight bouncing off another building. I thought, 'There's my angle,' though this doesn't do it justice, and I knew I would have trouble fitting 'City National Bank' into that small space...and I did. At least I'm happy with the Mason City I captured in my essay, 'River City Wild,' published by the Wapsipinicon Almanac just last month. Frank Lloyd Wright's presence in Mason City is really something, and it has meant a lot to me aesthetically. Thank you, Frank, for reminding me that to create something is to be fully alive." 



Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Artist's Envy


Yes, I often have artist's envy--in a good way--at my friend Kelly's art and posts on Geezberries.com. She and I have been art-n-scrawl pals for over a decade. Check her blog out (Geezberries.com) and experience her wonder at nature's grand show. 

More About the Sally Project

I met Sally forty years ago when I was twenty and she was the one in her sixties. I was a waitress at a Howard Johnson’s restaurant on...