leaving behind work in progress
Today my old friend Nancy from grad school days came to visit; we had a wonderful time for the few hours that she could stay. It was great timing for a studio visit--I've rarely had so many finished paintings on hand, with all the work for two exhibits done but not yet wrapped up for the trip west. (That is tomorrow's job.)

The panel above is something I've been working on--I have a side panel in mind to add on to it, but this one is complete. Actually, if I am in a very minimalist frame of mind, I can also see the possibility of it standing alone as a single panel (there is more to it than is visible in the photo--click for a larger view.)

Nancy and talked about how there can be a let-down or loss of energy after a big exhibit, and that it's good to have some work in progress so that the studio does not get completely cleared out. On the other hand, I know there are times when an interlude for incubating new ideas is a good thing--it's not all about productive momentum.

I have four or five large panels that I've developed in the last week or so, and have a sense of turning in a new direction, so at least this time around I think I'll come back from New Mexico ready to work. It's actually kind of hard to leave them right now.

This may be the last blog post for awhile, since we hit the road on Friday morning with the car full of art. We'll be dropping off one batch of paintings at Perlowe-Stevens Gallery in Columbia MO and the other at Darnell Fine Art in Santa Fe, then staying in the Santa Fe area until the opening there on 10/2. Lots to do before actually leaving...preparing all the paintings for hanging and transporting, getting the house ready for our house-sitter, and tying up lots of loose ends. I look forward to being on our way and adventures in the days ahead.  ¶ 10:13 PM