I wonder if I can do this

I made the trip...it was kinda white knuckle for the very long haul through PA in a driving rain with fog laying thick. Of course there are the ever present 18 wheelers curving down the mountain at their breakneck speeds...but once, outa the dark weather tunnel, the Ohio sky became clear and brilliant and I forgot the hard part. To see how it felt please click on the Beyond Words link. My dear soul friend and magnifico artist Karin gave me a picture worth a thousand words in her entry for this very day.

The 'I wonder if I can do this' title refers to my lack of imagery to upload for this post... but look... even that has been resolved with K's work standing in for today.

At the gallery all is looking wonderfully fresh and inviting. All but one of my 70 paintings were able to hang beautifully in the old historic space. Lynne Lofton's ceramics are pure delight and her view of life is where our exhibition title 'A Mild Obsession' comes from. Clearly this is an oxymoron as we are sharing with all who can make the trek to FAVA Gallery in Oberlin during this next 5 weeks.

On the Road Again

Hanna moved through without leaving us anything other than leaf litter on the lawns....love it when the hurricane force wears itself out naturally.

And now we're off...well I am anyway. Don't you just love a road trip? This is a lovely trip 'back home' through the soft curving mountains of the Allegheny range and up into the farm lands and woods of the glacial moraines of Ohio. Petrol prices aside, the leaving of one place and the turning toward another seems a bit necessary for mental health from time to time. The winding road, the distance from here to there, the way thoughts wander as the miles unfold.
I particularly love the opportunity to look over my shoulder and see my day to day pattern from a distance. And the coming home to those we love is always the very best...so of course ya gotta go someplace first :-)

There will be a lot of art/life packed into this two weeks...a new grand niece to meet, that will be so fantastic in itself. And then there is the FAVA Gallery opening fun on Sunday. If you're in the Oberlin area hop over to see the beauty that Lynne Lofton and I will be sharing.

Throughout the time away I'll get to see many of my Lifecycle clients for updates and energy tune-ups, something that benefits us at any time don'tcha think (energy tune-ups we're talkin' here). In addition I will present 4 different workshops (two of them in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park with all of its amazing fall beauty, the photo with this post is from my last Creativity Salon at Hines Hill Conference Center in the park). And, last but not least, I am so happy that I have been recommended to meet with the Program Director at the Cleveland Clinic to learn about their new Art and Medicine Institute. I'm deeply moved when I can share my 40 year history and love of creativity as a healing tool.

All this plus the best of times with dear old friends (and new) will give this experience the most wonderful glow from beginning to end.
Happy Trails to you too!

Family Tree

As I prepare to drive north for the FAVA Gallery opening on September 14 and various and sundry workshop presentations, I realize that it's my first trip back home since my parents have departed, and the family home, gathering spot, has a new family living in it, new kids playing in the yard with the dog. However there is the joy of a new great niece who has just arrived

and so on we go....the family tree ever replenishing its roots with our remains.

Mantra for today

In three weeks I'll drive to Ohio for the opening of
'A Mild Obsession' with fabo artist Lynne Lofton at FAVA Gallery http://www.favagallery.org/ and since there are so many loose ends to bring together it feels like a bit of sanity to just play each day making these little 'Mantras' as I call em'.
This one's called 'Lotus Focus' and it may just ring a bell.