Update on the studio

I've decided to stay in the studio. I did a test run last month at home. I brought my easel and paints home and it just wasn't conducive. I did one painting and then I became stagnant. The less I painted, the more antsy I felt. Finally with a gentle nudge from my husband, I realized that I needed to get back in the studio. The day I brought everything back into the studio was a happy one and immediately I felt a sense of relief. The next week I was back into a productive routine. I feel excited about what's to come.

First, I have a studio mate for the month of May. Local artist, Tetiana Taganska, will be joining me for a trial run. If it works out she may come back in September as a full-time studio mate. Tetiana is also an art teacher at the Fremont Art Association and I look forward to sharing my space with a wonderful and thoughtful artist.

Second, this will be the first summer in awhile that we don't have any huge travel plans. I'm not teaching or taking any workshops. I don't have any visitors coming into town. We have our usual camping trips planned but, other than that I see a luxurious chunk of time stretched out before me. It's a mini-sabbatical/retreat/study program that I'm creating for myself. I hope to be in the studio on a regular basis, pushing my art forward and completing painting goals. One thing that I'd like to do is to try some plein air painting. I haven't quite worked out the details but, I'm hoping to map out a plan for specific locations to visit and do some on-site studies for future landscapes.

There's a ton of stuff I'd like to do and I know the two months of summer will go by very quickly. In the next few weeks I hope to solidify a more detailed personal plan and I'll definitely share what I put together.