I have a new painting in mind. But we’ll get to that in a bit.
For the last several years, my dining room has morphed into my studio, making large projects difficult. The 3 by 5 foot commission I did last year was created on a painting table nestled into one end of my living room. You probably get the picture. I managed though.
But times they are a changing. I’m in the process of packing up and getting ready to sell my condo, my home of 30 plus years. I’ve spent the last year downsizing, and with the help of sister-in-law Colleen, have gone through every cupboard, tossing those old packages of egg noodles and opened ranch dressing mix. It helps to have an organizer in the family.
As the cartons are stacked and the piles have grown, so have the memories.
My sister Cheryl’s children, Katie and John, often spent the night when visiting from California. We played ‘hide the coaster.’ Hey, I was desperate. Now Katie has four grown children of her own. John tragically passed away suddenly a few years ago.
And my brother Mitch’s daughter Shannon and I used to draw each others faces with a soft paint brush, sleepy in the early hours of the morning. I hope to do the same with Shannon’s daughter, Celia, in the future.
I have a very specific vision of what my new home, my new life, will look like. I’m searching for a two bedroom apartment with a small balcony, someplace to put a few pots of something that I won’t kill right away. One bedroom will, of course, be my studio. ONE WHOLE ROOM. And I’ll have a dining room, where I can entertain again. That’s just for starters.
And my new painting? It even has a title. Build Bridges, Not Walls. Yes, it could be a political statement. But it’s also a call to action for myself, for building a bridge between my old life and this new one I’m creating for myself. I’m excited to see what walks across that bridge. I hope you’ll be part of it.