There’s a beautiful birdhouse in the cherry tree just outside my window. It was painted by a fellow artist, and a bird family has made it their home for the last three years.
As the birds come and go, chirping all day long, I think of how their lives are so busy… gathering the materials for their nest and preparing each Spring for their new little families.
My own baby birds may have already flown the nest, but I can’t say I’m any less busy than I was in earlier years. In fact, I missed writing to you last week because I was on the go from morning to night for a few days.
Most of my time was occupied with the Pittsburgh Business Show on Wednesday and Thursday. I ran into a lot of friends there, did a good bit of networking, and even sold a few things. But I was pretty worn out by the end of the show, and I decided it was time to do something for myself.
On Friday morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn to attend a three-day workshop – but this time I was the student! Because I’m largely self-taught, it really is a treat when I have the opportunity to spend time with other artists and learn techniques I’ve never used before.
Christine Swann is a great portrait artist and a master pastelist. We are lucky to have her here in the Pittsburgh area, and I’m lucky to have her as my friend. I only spent a few hours on this portrait and didn’t get a chance to finish it, but it felt like I had a mini-vacation… just me and my creative side.
It was a good way to have some downtime before getting back to work on some “serious” painting. I’m ready to get started on the next painting in my “Jolly Old Elf” series… so stay tuned and have a great week!
P.S. – Happy spring from our family to yours!
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