and then life goes on…

…sort of. It’s been almost six weeks since the flood and we are still not in our home. Who knew that a hotel would become our home for over a month! Not me, that’s for sure. But life goes on and we’re trying to make the best of it with our kids. Artwise, it’s been difficult for me because I have had to cancel and/or turn away several opportunities for my work. It kills me. But I don’t have space to work and all my energy is directed to helping my children find normalcy in this difficult situation that we find ourselves in.

Thank you for your comments and emails when I last posted about the flood. It is difficult for me to get on the computer as I still work on a desktop, which is on a desk. At the house. So emails are delayed because I cannot stand typing on my phone, but not as delayed as blogposts, which I would never attempt on a phone. Not even sure if that can be done. Probably in this day and age. I’ve been blogging since 2002-ish and I don’t think I’ve ever had a delay this long! My blog has always served the purpose of writing about my art and what happens in the studio, so I feel like I don’t have much to write about. And yet I do. And yet, I don’t feel like it. I also was feeling like I need some silence as I processed all the loss that we had just experienced, plus the displacement, plus just feeling overwhelmed in general. But tonight, on a laptop, I finally felt the urge to start typing up the things that have happened art-wise, even if I haven’t been able to create.

For instance, I never wrote about finally visiting Klindon Hall at the Benedictine University in Lisle, IL where my current solo exhibit is showing. The show that I worked on all winter. Often waking up at 5 am to give me at least an hour and a half to work on paintings before my kids woke up. The show where I made a huge leap in creating more abstract work, while exploring the bowl as metaphor. The flood happened two weeks after I delivered my paintings to the university and then I wasn’t able to make it there until probably a month thereafter. We went on Mother’s Day- it was my requested activity for the day.

Below are just a few photos of the 25 paintings in the show:

“Tactile Spirit”, Klindon Hall, Benedictine University

“Tactile Spirit”, Klindon Hall, Benedictine University

me with my monkeys in front of my painting “From Darkness”

Noah, 6 years old, in front of 2 of my paintings exploring the theme of things I think about

It meant so much to me to finally go and see the show with my family on Mother’s Day. Without the support and encouragement from my husband and my children, I wouldn’t be able to do my art to the extent that I do. Finding time for me to work alone in the studio without interruption is not easy to come by. And we all work together to make the time. And when time cannot be made, well then, I wake up at 5 am to do it. I have now been without any studio time for 7 weeks, the longest ever since 2002 and I feel a restlessness within. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Soon, I tell myself.

This is the flyer for my show. If you are in the area, please stop by and visit and let me know if you did! The show will be up until the end of June. I have work in another show right now up in WI. I hope to post about that soon. Because of our circumstances, I wasn’t able to attend the opening, but I have photos from the other fabulous artists who were in the show that I can share.

Hopefully this post will give me the kick in the pants to get back to blogging.