A few years ago, I was feeling remorseful that I had not, at a young age, pursued painting in a way that matches the enthusiasm I’ve always felt for it. Because of that regret, I’ve done my share of personal pity parties (PPP) but have learned not to dwell there. In Ivan Doig’s western novels one of his characters says this, “Ye canna stop a bad thought from coming into your head but ye need not invite it to pull up a chair and abide awhile.

Now when PPP tries to pull up a chair and dwell in my head, I recite that phrase and move on. I always imagine me sitting in a rocker with a corncob pipe in my mouth saying that phrase to my own PPP thought, “just get along with your old self, head on down the road. I’m thinking of a painting”.

For if I did paint full time when would it have been?

When my 4 babies were tots? I would have missed so much. Or when I became a single mother with no discernible skills and fought like the devil to earn a living? Or when I finally had a profitable business and could begin to afford the family I had? Or could I have stopped being a caregiver for my family members? O yes and then there were a few years when I was having way too much fun to do something productive so no, not then either.

NOPE, it just wasn’t meant to be. I just could not balance a painting life with all the other things I was meant to do.

As I was told long ago, “women CAN have it all, just not at the same time”. So, I did the next best thing and I just kept living. Now I am old and loving every painting second of my rich full old life.

But I’m making up for it now. YEA ME. And YEA you also. If you are breathing, you still have time to do the things you are enthusiastic about. Find that thing you love to do above all else and throw yourself into it. If you are interested in painting contact me. One of the things I’ve learned is how to help folks advance their own painting skills.

So that’s just a little about me; on to ART

Recently I was invited by Tuolumne County Arts to hang a show with my long-time artist friend Joy Willow. With names like Cherry and Willow we had to make it about trees. Our paintings looked spectacular together and we met so many gracious people in the process. I feel like I am back to where I wanted to be 30 years ago. Thank you, Laurie Livingston for Curating, and thank you Sonora Chamber of Commerce for being generous hosts.

Joy and I decided to each offer up a free painting as a door prize. Marilyn Waggoner won Joy’s lovely green abstract, and Mercedes Tune won one of my favorites, a watercolor study of trees. YEA thank you all for participating.

I’ve got lots and lots going one and it all involves painting and it all involves others but more of that later … stay tuned.