She lives. She paints. She breathes...

something big in the studio (we will talk about it later)

Happy New Year to all my lovely blog readers, lurkers, and others. I hope your year has begun in stellar fashion. I know mine has. I have been back in the studio this week and it has been wonderful! I am enjoying coming home with paint on my hands, it had definitely been too long. Again, I remind myself that not painting is not an option. Some might call it relaxation or taking a break to refuel or whatever, but it is not that way for me. Plain and simple, not painting is a form of self torture and there has been enough of that.

Besides working in the studio, I started the year by taking a chance and entering a juried competition, it will be a while before I know if I got in or not, but I am glad I entered. Each year I tell myself I will not enter this competition because I am always rejected, but I do it anyway. Hope springs eternal.

It has been great being back in the studio and reconnecting with my fellow studio mates, we all seem excited to get back to work after the holidays and for what is in store at The Fayetteville Underground for 2011. I am still so happy that I decided to get a studio outside of my home, it has its challenges, but its advantages far out weigh those.

So, what will 2011 hold in the studio? I am not sure. Will I continue the white series? Will I revert back to color? Will there be more manuals? Works on paper? At present your guess is as a good as mine. I am okay with that. I know inspiration will strike, and the work will emerge and it will inform itself and let me know the way it needs unfold. I think words might stick around and I think large works on paper are a good possibility. We will see. When it hits me, it will hit me with a bang and there will be no turning back. I just have to be patient and I just have to keep showing up and working.

I hope 2011 is a wonderful year for us all. Good luck and best wishes in all your endeavors. Keep fighting and keep coming back here, because soon... this place is going to teeming with fresh art.