I have my health (relatively speaking). As Fonzy would say,
“Eh, you aren’t twenty any more ya know”. I have family and friends, and I have
my painting. My mental health depends on that last one. If I could not paint, I
would feel oh so sorry for my husband.
He tolerates a lot and supports me by cutting boards that I prepare for
painting, coming to openings he could care less about and to receptions where
he feels about as necessary as lipstick and a tutu on a biker. Yeah he’s a
keeper and for that I am thankful.
And I am still gobsmacked when I get up in the morning and
find what we got last night. Snow. This
was our first here in Southern NM, this year.
Wow! Transformation! Our move
five years ago for this part of the country was so very right for us both. I have missed the change of seasons for many
years. Now it is more pronounced than it
was during our time in San Diego county, a visual cue to me of the transitory
nature of our lives. It makes me want to
grab those I love with both hands and not let them go. It reminds me that we have today. Tomorrow is
not promised to any of us.
So after throwing on my clothes, and getting my first of
several cups of coffee, I painted this little 9x12. I call it “Towards Tyrone”, mostly because
this is the southern view from our property, towards Tyrone NM. The sheer beauty of this place takes my
breath away. Some days you think “if
heaven isn’t this pretty I ain’t going”. Really. I can understand how the indigenous people
hated seeing us all coming in and taking over this land. We would have tried to
defend it too. I think when a body
paints the landscape, farms it, hunts it and protects it, you develop a
reverence for it.
This is painted on prepared board, one that has been gessoed
and sanded, sealed on all sides. I did
not tone the board, figuring who cared if there was white peaking through? Its
snow after all. It peeks through
everywhere when it falls anyway.
I am thankful. For lots of things, most of which you cannot
touch except with your heart. I truly
hope your Thanksgiving is as heartfelt and profound as ours is this year.
