What I Did Last Summer...

I suppose it seems strange to write about last summer in January.  But, some distance on events helps me put things into perspective.  These months since last June have been months of quiet work and reflection for me.  The challenges of the pandemic and teaching have been quite real, but I thought I would take a moment to share some of the resources that truly helped enrich my home studio experience, inform my artistic practice, and continue to make me feel connected and positive.

Here are some things I did that truly helped:
1. Developed a daily artistic practice and kept a schedule with it. I also challenged myself to be "free" in my artwork.  So I found out I kind of though iguanas were interesting and I ended up spending the better part of the summer creating a wood block reduction print of one.  To see more of my summer works check out my "Works in Progress" page.
2. Reached out and stayed connected to my fellow artists through creative postcard exchanges, emails, letters, and text group chats where we shared our work and process.  You may wonder why no social media was mentioned.  I have found social media platforms increasingly depressing, so for self-care reasons I have intentionally been avoiding them.  Also, I find the serendipity of Google searches and just visiting museum websites far more enjoyable and fruitful.
3. Participated in Zoom workshops through the artists' guilds I am a member of.
4. Attended free concerts and lectures at my favorite museums.
5. Took three online courses: Bonsai Fundamentals, Artistic Geometry of the Arab World, and Chinese Painting.
6. Became more deeply committed to spending time in nature and especially my garden.
7. Becoming an avid porch sitter in the evenings so I see and chat with my neighbors.

Here are a few links to some of my favorite little gems I recently discovered in the digital world in the past several months:

Popupology, incredible online source for making pop-up cards
http://www.popupology.co.uk/galleries#g_2

Drawing Prompts for Everyday, just found this article very inspirational
https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-mediums/drawing/drawing-prompts-for-everyday-sketching/

Prince's Foundation for the Traditional Arts, incredible lectures and short courses
https://princes-foundation.org/school-of-traditional-arts/open-programme

The Morgan Library, amazing talks and virtual tours:
https://www.themorgan.org/programs/virtual-talks-and-tours

These are challenging times, stay creative and connected! If you have any gems to share please leave a comment below.

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