My Resolution

SOLD 
Just as I was pondering the annual opportunity to focus on some changes and improvements in me...and the approaching deadline for declaring these at least to myself I received a New Year's letter from one of the wise women. Kim of Summerhouse Grill in Montrose, PA included this quote in her email:

When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful. ~Barbara Bloom

This really struck a chord with me.

The movers were careful and the numerous trips were safe. Yet it seems that upon arrival in my Vermont studio, old patterns and methods are in need of some repair. My tiny Vermont studio's thermostat is not under my control it seems. It is sometimes hot and sometimes not, but it is well stocked with art supplies, quiet and calm and the rent is paid. The only thing largely missing has been me....the artist. So my resolution is to resume my pre-move-normal working hours in 2012 and see what happens. I have an opportunity to make some art (with history) this year. I'll use some gold.

Wishing you the same good luck and fulfilled intentions in 2012.

Christmas Day

For weeks I've had a sparkling new 18 Colour Pearlescent Assortment of pastels sitting open on my work table. Everytime I glanced over, it made me smile a little because I adore the colors and they shimmer. I had no idea what I would actually use them for. I assumed that when the time was right I'd put them on a garden painting or maybe use them in a restrained manner in a landscape. It didn't matter because having the box next to me was good enough reason for their existence. In retrospect I see that the box resembled one of those compartmentalized storage boxes in which shiny tree ornaments are kept for eleven months of the year.

Christmas Day was a quiet, grey one here and when I walked into the studio I knew exactly what these particular pastels would do for me; inspire me to paint "Lonely Little Holiday Tree."

Great American Art Works uses delightful names for their colors - Blue Morpho, Black Pearl, Dusk, Whitecaps, Cameroon and Alpenglo.