Changes in the weather and studio

Rainy morning..my shirt hangs wet on my back from my early morning garden stroll, but my hand still smells of the fresh picked strawberries it held, so very fragrant and delicious.  Fresh food has such a vital flavor.  I am relishing in our garden greens and now berries.  Feeling lucky.

So with the rain comes cooler weather.  I've got a corn bread in the oven baking.  We had some really fine summer weather for a few days...even went swimming.  Changes in weather mean changes in the activities of the day.  Glad I thought of corn bread as I lay in bed listening to the rain on the roof.

Studio changes afoot also.  I scrambled up to the studio last week to begin the creation of this painting and to see how I felt about my studio.  I am moving again.  When I turned in my entries to 2 shows at SPA, the director spoke of her need to rent a space on the second level.  The grand waiting list had dwindled to no one.  Surprising, but maybe not, when you consider all the empty storefronts on Main St Barre....but this room has a great light, 3 windows, and a sink in the very room.  When I served on the creation committee of this community art Center 15 years ago, I insisted that sinks be plumbed into the rooms.  For the last 13 months I have had to go down 3 flights of stairs to find the sink/bathroom.  It has been inconvenient and has affected what work I could do in that gorgeous huge studio.  Also sharing the space clipped my wings...I didn't fly about that space as I thought I might.  Anyway, instead of painting, I am picking up my spread and tools, supplies, and packing up paintings to move next week into the community art center I believed in 15 years ago and still believe in.

Yesterday I packed, but today I needed to look again at my work as I am applying for another show...on the same day I go to pick up my 2 rejected paintings from a gallery in NH...alas...

The featured painting (24x24) began with fabric embedded on a square canvas giving the square movement and spread.  Oil pastels echoed the shapes and rhythm.

Two beginning views...process is more than the paint on the canvas.  Inspiration and ideas need to move the process.  The white canvas square can be daunting.  I felt the urge of blue.

Sometimes a painting needs to sit for years before the inspiration comes again to make changes.  This one finally came alive to me....still in process, but awake. (12x12 on linen stretched over styrofoam if you can believe it...)

And scarves are being created.  I ordered some handwoven cotton for a change.  It takes the dye so differently, not the same spread of dyes within all the fibers.  More a graphic approach...ah, changes again.  Changes are good, don't you think?  Wish we could all discuss change while sharing my corn bread...it is calling me....catch you later.