Yeah, I know it’s already March, but this draft was lurking in my saved file!
….. Only 4:30 and you can feel the chill and darkness filtering in.
We’re finally leaving behind the shortest days of the year, layered up with long evenings curled on the couch with a book or a streaming video . . . often with a fire going in the wood stove. The Canadian geese are making their annual visits- hitting all their favorite water and grass locations around town. (watch where you step!)
My disbelief that we’ve been living in pandemic times for so long is coupled with a sort of acceptance. Things have changed and we’ve been operating with so many voids in our lives, both large and small, that a universal acceptance of a new norm seems to have taken hold. At least in places where people want to stay safe.
This past September, I was thinking I would jump into the local studio tour again- but of course we needed to do that virtually. Just not the same.
The good news in the new year …
Tireless lab work and clinical trials have yielded the possibility of fewer people getting sick in the future, though it will be a while before we’re all headed to large public events.
Sane, accomplished, experienced, qualified adults will be running the country. (mostly)
We’ve all learned to be a little more kind, and appreciative for what we possess and often take for granted: health, enough food, a stable and safe place to live. Volunteering at the local food bank has brought that home.
Art has found a way to thrive whatever the obstacles – online dance performances and symphonies, driveway concerts, murals and virtual exhibits, inspirational and enlightening podcasts, books…. you probably have more to add to that list.
Even though my studio life is pretty non-existent these days, compared to years past, it still tickles me to carve an image, print it out and then sit and add some touches of color; or to enjoy the stroke of pastels layer on layer until some imagined landscape evolves.
I have never looked forward to spring more than this year; with the return of gardening season and more outdoor activities. So as we stretch our legs and rejoin the world, here’s hoping for the best for us all.
erskinestudio.com 