As I sit and write today the chickadees are nibbling at my feeder, the furnace is shutting off now and then and there’s a sense of “softening” out there. The last two weeks have been brutal. Each day seemed to get colder than the one before it. My guys in the barn were huddled under blankets, not even willing to step outside. Their buckets of water froze faster than I could hang them and I resorted to feeding them warm mashes of beet pulp to keep them hydrated. Welcome to the arctic!

1-6-18 Milk House

I turned to drawing and painting to keep warm. Actually, my studio is the warmest place in the house when it gets like this. When I’m focused on the work in front of me, the cold can get pushed away for a bit. I’d struggle with leaving my work table, knowing that I needed to start the process of extreme layering, unwrapping handwarmers and zipping up tall, clunky, but warm boots to go tackle those water buckets (again) and give the boys a snuggle or two along with their warm slop and handfuls of hay. I’d hurry back to that table, where I could focus again and thaw out.

I am having so much fun with my Daily Doodles! Each morning after breakfast I sip my coffee and pull out my tiny 2″x4″ sketchbook and draw something. I have no rules. It just has to come from within, and I don’t let myself fuss over it too long. I’m happiest with the ones that are the most spontaneous. This is my version of morning yoga. It frees my mind and lets me start the day with something completely of my own, before I venture off to work on commissions and planned work. If you’d like to receive an email each morning showing you the day’s doodle, comment below and I’ll add you to the list.

The other thing that’s keeping me going is the Weekly Painting. One step up from the Doodle, and quite often derived from a doodle that seemed to beg to be painted. These are small paintings, 8″x10″ to 11″x14″. Since they’re small I can’t get too wrapped up in details. I’m just going for the sense of a time gone by or a feeling I got when I saw something. As you’ll see, lately most of the paintings have been kinda cold looking! The painting for this week is the one shown above, called “Milk House”. It is an 8″ X 10″ acrylic on canvas on board. It will be displayed until January 17 at the Inn at Weathersfield. If you are interested in purchasing the above piece for $275 plus $15 shipping, please send me an email saying, “I’d like ‘Milk House'” and your name will go into the paint can for the next drawing on Jan. 17th.

I continue to make floorcloths and I’m working on a new mural project. Stay tuned for more on all of these things!

New London Mural Sketch