This is and is not related to my art; but so many things are happening right now, it is affecting my art…

First, my Dad died in his sleep very early on Tuesday morning (sometime after midnight). I’m sad, but also grateful that he is no longer suffering. And I know I’m in a place of grieving because I’m finding it hard to really focus and concentrate on anything. I also know this will improve over time. I’m grateful that I got to see him last Thursday when I went with my mother to get him set up for Hospice. I honestly thought he had a little further to go (like March or even April), so his passing just a few days later has sort of surprised me.

All arrangements were made some time ago and per my parent’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. The immediate family will plan and have a family gathering later this Spring but for now, it’s sort of life as usual.

I also found out on Monday, that I won a blue ribbon at the Rappahannock Art League “You Be The Judge” exhibition. I feel very humbled by the award. The piece that won is Baby Carrots.

And it looks like I’m going to be very busy in the upcoming months getting a Culinary Arts Guild going at the Rice’s Hotel Hughlett Tavern and Heritage Arts Center. We are planning to serve good quality soups and artisan breads and special treats to the Art Center patrons (and anyone else who wants to stop in for a simple lunch). I think we are going to call it the Artisan Café. We have a tentative opening date for mid-March with a soft opening in early March so we can practice getting our service and prep stuff timing down before we actually expect crowds. At least we hope there will be crowds. But this is going to take up a goodly chunk of my time in the coming months (years?).

Monday, Daphne and I will take down our exhibition at the Northumberland Library and I’ll make a super fast trip down to RAL to deliver a painting for the next exhibition there, called “Hot and Cold” in which we are being challenged to show something we have never done before. In my case, it was working with the extremes of color temperatures in a painting.

I have my first painted box ready to go up for sale at the Heritage Arts Center (glued on the cork pads for the feet last night). Today I’m doing my volunteer bit at RAL. Tomorrow and Saturday and probably Sunday, I’m staying home and working in the studio. Because I need to and want to and it’s the real reason I’m around, I think.