Update

Time flies it seems. The shows in November went well. Thanks to all who came!

I’ve been busy with commissions lately. I can’t post any of them until after Christmas because they were purchased as Christmas presents and we can’t have anyone getting a peak early! J I promise after Christmas I’ll post pictures!

I’ve been spending a good bit of time sketching lately. I’m pushing myself more on portraiture and human form. I’m also putting in a good amount of time reading art history and researching the artists in my family tree.

With my pregnancy now in the 3^rd trimester I’m finding myself heavily reflective on the art I’m creating more of. I’m in a bit of a vein lately and looking at the increasing constraints on my time ahead with a newborn, I’m wanting to become more focused in fewer directions. Narrowing myself in some ways and broadening myself within some areas at the same time. It would be very easy to be completely unproductive with a new baby. I’ve done this before so I know how little time I’ll really have. So in light of that I’m gathering my study materials, sketch pads, and canvases, and preparing to spend a lot of time in my apartment. It’s a good thing I know how to paint with a baby in a sling.

Later next summer I have several plein aire painting trips in the works. One is to a place I went to a lot as kid - Hearts Content in the Allegheny National Forest. It’s primitive camping (no showers, but they do have flush toilets - I’m getting one of those freestanding shower tents because I’m not that all natural). It’s a virgin forest which means it’s never been harvested – one of the few groves in the east. The trees are 3-400 years old and the forest floor is dense moss and ferns. Several other spots for plein aire creative time are in the works – I’ll post more as the details for those get more settled.

Until then I may be spending a lot of time indoors so if any of my readership wants to donate their vacation photos or interesting shots you’ve taken for me to work from, you may see your images reinterpreted by my brush this spring. I am always looking for new things to sketch and paint and the hermit life doesn’t expose me to nearly as much as I would like. I’m thankful there are artist’s reference photos out there but it takes 10 photos to find all the elements I’m looking for in a pose or whatever I’m doing. Reconstructing what is in my mind from a bunch of different photos gets a bit complex, but I do enjoy being stretched. I should put together a costume party or something and convince all my friends to do all the poses I’m looking for. That would probably be the best option to get what I’m looking for.

Too many ideas… too little time…