Missing Juno the possibly historic storm.

You might have heard that the Northeast United States from NY to Maine is getting hammered by what is being built up as a "historic" storm. The Boston area is supposed to get the worst of it with up to three feet of snow. I lived in Boston for nearly twelve years and weathered many blizzards during those years. I lived in the Chicago area before that and       weathered storms there as well, but it was always harder in Boston because getting in your car and driving isn't a simple choice during good weather and it flat out is not a choice in bad weather. The infrastructure in the entire Boston area is so bad that storms are crippling in a way I did not experience in the equally snowy Midwest.  

The thing is I moved to the much more boring climate of the United Kingdom a little over two weeks ago. During the winter the temperature hovers around 40 degrees and it might rain. It's all rather boring. Grateful to be bored as I think of my friends back in the Northeast and hoping that none of them lose power and stay safe and warm. 

One of our many blizzards in Boston. This one is going to miss the rest of us not so much.  

Getting Settled

Everyday I get a little more comfortable and everyday I spend a little more time with my creativity. These past two weeks have been very hard and very densely filled with moving out, temporary housing, a red eye transatlantic flight with children, more temporary housing, jet lag, new school, new job, cultural adjustment and then finally illness. All in just a two week time span! Today as the sick haze lifts and life is beginning to feel normal again I am rediscovering myself and what drives me forward. A new and improved self that isn't frustrated and longing change like I had been back home. After so many years Boston had become my home and I loved it. But I was also struggling and had wanted to make a big change for years. Well, here is my big change and I am appreciating it. Doesn't make it less hard at times and doesn't make me miss our friends any less, but I can't think of a better place for me to grow as an artist at this point in my life. We still don't move into our apartment until mid to late February but we are expecting our air shipment to be delivered today and it has some extra art supplies for me on it as well as toys for the children. What wonderful timing! 

Sketching around people

Are you too nervous to draw around people? Especially the thought of drawing people that aren't specifically posing for you? Or maybe even people that are posing for you and asked to be drawn? Too much pressure to do a good job? Maybe you end up scribbling over your drawing, erasing your drawing or even worse ripping out the page and crumpling it up! That was me for my entire life up until this point. But now I just do it and half the time early in the drawing I mess something up or the person moves and I am tempted to give up but I go on and finish the drawing. I always finish my drawings. If I keep going I can fix it to at least be decent plus I learn from the experience of drawing and correcting errors. If I give up I learn nothing. It is summer so go outside and draw and if you are feeling extra brave draw people. They rarely mind. 

Quick sketch and watercolor at a summer Small Group BBQ in the neighborhood. I lost my light and had to stop sooner than I would have liked to but I am content. 

Sketchbook Friday : Some of my favorite things from this week.

This week was better in nearly every way imaginable. Feeling positive about my new sketchbook and finally feeling comfortable to work in the large mixed-media sketchbook I picked up awhile back. Not letting the bad stuff get me down when there is so much good stuff in my life. I'm not even that sad about the lost sketchbook anymore because I know that my next one is going to be so much better. Highlights of the week were my super generous and thoughtful friends and other kind people, making a cool travel watercolor kit with stuff I had around the house and getting a new pencil case. The weather is lovely and I got to sketch a lot outside while my kids played after school. Starting to look forward to summer.

Big sketchbook page, DIY travel watercolor kit, new super awesome pencil case and the card and gift card from my thoughtful friends.

New York Twinkle

Christmas may be over but the holiday decorating is huge here in New York and there is so much sparkle for me to enjoy. Mild sunny weather and a great time walking around looking at the lights and the holiday spectacle. The crowds are a bit much for me. No way I could do New Years Eve in Manhattan. The thought makes my blood run cold. But this is just right and such a treat right now. Very lucky to be here.

Winter Distractions

Snowy days, illnesses, furniture building, redecorating, milestones, birthdays, parties, no school and Christmas. That has been my life these long cold weeks. Before I knew it these things had taken up all of December. No time for myself or for my art. Then I got my surprise trip to NYC without the family to recharge and came home just in time for the New Year to start and Boston to get a blizzard. The snow is coming and my kids are off playing nicely together and I have a chance to write and think. It won't last so I need to seize the peace whenever I have it. It's all about balance. Sometimes I lose the balance but I always find it again with some effort.

Mini-Vacation!

Going on a trip this weekend to NYC by myself to see this show and so much more. My family will be staying behind and while I will miss them and call every night I am going to enjoy myself doing adult childfree things for three days. Oh and taking the train! The reading. The quiet. The headphones. So great! Really looking forward to this spur of the moment trip and spending time alone and with friends and great art.

The Goldfinch by Fabritius