What’s Up?

Before What’s up, what went down:                                                                          

I started this blog in 2009 to strengthen my drawing skills by publicly promising to draw daily, a good plan for getting back into fine art, my 

major in life and training in university. At first I did a lot of cute doodles, which, over time lead me to the genre that interested me most, portraiture, candid portraits of people going about their business. I relied on my camera and worked primarily from the photographs I shot on the paparazzi sly.

 After finally finding my niche, Donald J. Trump was elected President and my interest in art dropped to a 

rare sketch.  Painting was of little interest. My head turned.  My country was in trouble. Where they had never interested me before, Politics became a priority.   Keeping up with various news sources, writing opinions to various legislators, reading all the books 

being dashed out by politicians, political analysts, 

Historians  and journalists took my time and turned off 

the lights in the  studio. The Trump term was excruciating.

 It wasn’t his issues I disliked so much, as it was the man

himself who made me gag and step from center right to 

center left.  And then the pandemic descended upon us and 

knocked the country totally flat.  Never was there a darker 

time in my memory.  And it’s still with us!  However.....

                                                                           

Either  I’ve adjusted to turmoil, or I’m tired of it?  I think

 tired.  I’ve had enough.  I’ve started to draw again more

frequently in the last few months.    Self portraits mostly  

in the last year to the degree I am sick of looking at myself 

in the mirror, but as the weather warms and buds begin to 

open on the trees, I have started to make plein air plans. I’ve 

cleaned my studio. Washed brushes. Swept floors. Cleaned 

paint tubes and palettes. Restored order. I’ve set up my easel 

on the patio in the back of the house facing Hillpoint Wood.  

Outdoors, I’m feeling upbeat after four years of glum.  I will be 

even more upbeat after my second COVID 19 inoculation 

tomorrow—so energized, I may even blog again?