an arting life
On Saturday, we went to Rye Beach for some sunshine and fresh salt air… and to take photos of my Blue-on-Blue painting in another quirky setting. (This is part of a photo series for an upcoming book.) While we were there, here’s what we saw at a nearby beach. It was a huge crowd of…
My collages are intuitive. I never know what they’ll look like – or what they’ll mean (to me, anyway) – until they’re finished. This is very much that kind of torn-paper collage. It’s darker than my usual works, but in a mysterious, moody, “old money” way. It will look best matted and then placed in…
In a hotel room in Maine, still “on the road” as we move to New England, I’m making torn-paper collages again. This one is very different from the torn-paper collages I was creating in Florida. It’s more vibrant. More animated. My husband says it looks “happier.” I agree. The elements include brilliant colors, some hippie-style…
In past posts, it may sound like most of our family is in Florida. It’s not. I grew up in Belmont, Massachusetts. At the time, Belmont was a comfortable hometown where everyone seemed to know – and like – everyone else. It still feels that way, when we visit it. I have a bazillion cousins…
Refreshing, salt air. Quartz sand beaches. Friendly people who say hello without being prompted. Or even pause and share a bit of their life story. These are among the things we’re savoring now, back in New England (USA). Right away, we visited Hampton’s North Beach (New Hampshire), where I went wading in the icy waves….
[TLDR: If your main destination is Disney World, your safest, happiest, budget-minded choice is to book a hotel at the actual WDW property, not at Hotel Plaza in Disney Springs.] I wish our latest stay in Orlando had been at a Disney-owned hotel. I’ve spent many happy overnights and vacations at hotels on the Disney…
Well, this was unexpected. Usually, we look out our hotel room and admire the astonishing landscape. One of the high points is the long building with the red roof, at the upper middle part of the photo. That’s the National Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe. (Regardless of your religious views – if any…
While my husband is finishing his two weeks’ notice at his recent workplace – and I’m working in our Disney Springs hotel room – I’ve completed five new torn-paper collages. I kind of love how my art is becoming more layered (figuratively, at least) and meaningful. Getting a good night’s sleep again, after over a…
I stare at what’s left in our apartment and blink. I’m promising myself that we’ll never accumulate this much stuff, ever again. Not until we actually put down roots and stay in one place. (That may be New England, but – long-term – it may be England or Ireland.) This has been a very long…
I’ll be honest. There are times when we feel as if everything is “in flow,” and our radical move will be fine. We know it’s the right thing to do, even if the timing isn’t ideal. And even if we have misgivings about leaving so much that we love, in Florida. We’ve lived in New…
Preparing for our somewhat radical move back to New England, I’ve weeded-out 80% of my current wardrobe (and donated it to Goodwill). My system has been simple, if a bit ruthless: Without looking at my clothes, I made a list of all the items I could remember owning, here in Florida. And then I crossed…
This isn’t a pretty story, but it’s real. It’s typical of what’s happened here… and in many other parts of the U.S. In 2014, we moved from NH to Florida to be nearer to extended family and because we love Disney World. It wasn’t an easy move. It was risky, financially. My husband did not…