The newest thing in my life... I hurt my back and have been laying in bed as a result.  On the bright side, that gave me a perfect opportunity to watch InArte Fabriano 2020 on YouTube which has been terrific!  I enjoyed watching the online conference specifically.  Not only did I enjoy seeing their faces, I liked the discussion.  I look forward to watching more of the demos today.  Look for the silver lining (there is a song in there somewhere).  I am almost finished with a new full-size painting that I have taken-on specifically for my youngest, but will have to put off finishing it until my back recovers.  It has turned out surprisingly well considering the subject matter.  But there is always that point where I am ready to move on to the next painting but the current one isn't quite finished.  I guess that happens to everyone?  If I did more than one painting at a time I would never finish a painting.  Is it boredom or anticipation?  I'm guessing a bit of both.  This current piece is pretty much a two-color painting again.  I am not a fan.  I like the result, (more importantly they like the result) but the drudgery of it just wears me down.  I'll think about that tomorrow.  

I think the highlight most recently has been that we got more yeast for making bread!!!  That was a moment.  Apparently in other parts of the state it is not an issue, but here - good luck.  It has continued to rain as well, and that is wearisome.  But focusing on good things I can recommend some books I have finished:  Fool by Christopher Moore.  I have never been disappointed by Moore;   Euphoria by Lily King.  Spoiler alert - the ending is sad; Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.  I think this is the perfect time for this book; Still Lives by Maria Hummel.  Art and mystery is my favorite combo; The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.  I enjoyed the weaving of culture and story, very enjoyable.  And some quick little mysteries The Curse of Braeburn Castle, The Black Cat Murders, and Murder at Melrose Court all by Karen Baugh Menuhin.  Enjoyable, fast, and most importantly for me - some levity.  Back to my brushes (hopefully tomorrow).  

"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying."  - Nietzsche

I'm pleased to share that my painting The Nature of Tools has received an "Award of Excellence" at Watercolor USA 2020!  My thanks to the judge Misa Jeffereis, Assistant Curator at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, and the Watercolor USA Honor Society board members Sandra Schaffer and Carole Hennessy for this honor.  The exhibit plans to be open for the exhibit beginning June 6th, but I understand they are planning a virtual experience as well. A closing reception is planned for August 14th at 5:30 p.m. Visit the Springfield Art Museum for more information regarding public health concerns.  Congratulations to all the award winners and exhibitioners!  Back to my brushes.  

"Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each others eyes for an instant?"  - Henry David Thoreau

Well let's start on a high note.  I'm pleased to share that my painting "Tooling Around" has been accepted in SPLASH 22 - The Creative Spark.  All of the paintings will be published in a 116-page special edition magazine, The Best of Watercolor: Winners From the 22nd Annual Splash Competition, which has a tentative publication date of June 2021.  Always a surprise and honor to be a finalist for this publication.  My thanks to the editor and staff of Golden Peak Media Fine Art Group!  In the meantime, be sure to look for this year’s special issue, showcasing winners from Splash 21, coming to newsstands (and to artistsnetwork.com/store) on June 16, 2020.  

I continue to keep busy painting as much as possible.  I got terribly behind last year and am using this time as an opportunity to catch up.  So, I'm about to finish this half-sheet painting (a companion piece).  I figure three more days will do it.  That's really fast for me.  Consider I started the last one in January and finished in April.  I put that one a board to flatten and haven't looked at it since.  It is a series of sorts...distilling the seminal influence of my favorite artists of the past and making that idea the relevant compositional aspect of my painting.  It's been fun and challenging.  The last was Kandinsky, and so find it most enjoyable from a  distance.   The pattern is key, but I believe the message is clear.  I'll enter it in something and see what happens.  

Other than art, food continues to be a focus of my time.  I'm getting better at cooking.  I appreciate a crunchy salad more than ever.  It is a new month, but the days run together, broken up only by horrendous weather.  Today the sun is shining for a change.  One of my Nanny's iris has bloomed (see slide show).  The hail took some of the other blossoms, but this one survived.  Stay home.  Stay safe.  Nothing has changed.  Back to my brushes.


"It sounds plausible enough tonight but wait until tomorrow.  Wait for the common sense of the morning."  - H. G. Wells