Life on the High Plains

This week I found out that my painting instructor is also part therapist.  Ever since my brother got sick at the beginning of November I haven't really gone into my studio (aka she shed) and done any painting.  His illness took an emotional toll on me and I pretty much lost my zest for life.  I was pretty much just getting through each day and putting a smile on my face when needed. This week I went back to class.  Above is the setup for the painting I'm currently working on.  It had the first layer of color on the bottle and the lemons. My teacher asked me how my brother was doing and we talked for awhile.  She gave me some ideas to get the passion for painting back and also how to move on with life.  After three hours I had added another layer to lemons, background, and added the initial layer of color to the lavender.  I don't know why I do this to myself...why select a clear bottle on a white background?  It's very difficult...

I've done it....I've joined the hybrid club.  I've been thinking about a new car for a while mainly because my car was about to go over 100K miles and it was six years old. The car I was sure I was going to end up with was a orange Subaru Crosstrek.  Then a salesman asked me if I ever considered a hybrid.  The Subaru does come in a hybrid but only in select states which doesn't include Colorado.  The closest one we could fine was on the east coast.  Plus the hybrid version costs about $10K more than the gas version. I decided to walk the walk and not just talk the talk when it comes to climate change and global warming.   I ended up with a new Ford Escape Hybrid.  They're difficult to find, but we luckily came across one in the correct color up in Denver.  It has been fun watching it go between gas driving and electric driving. The fun challenge is to drive in such a way that you're using mostly electric.  It ave...

While in Memphis I got the opportunity to visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. It was surreal pulling into the parking lot of the museum located adjacent to the motel.  This is a place I've seen pictures of since I was eight years old.  To be here in person was daunting. The red and white wreath marks the spot outside room 306 where MLK was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Across the street is the boarding house where the assassin's bullet came from. The museum contains numerous interactive exhibits starting with the shipment of slaves from Africa to the west. During the time of segregation the motel was an upscale motel that catered to black clientele.  The motel went through bad times and was about to be demolished when it was sold for $144,000 in 1982 to the Lorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation.  The last resident of the hotel was evicted in 1988.  Starting in 1988 the museum went through a massive ren...

I can't say I'm sorry to see 2019 go...although a lot of great things happened, some really horrible things happened also. We started off 2019 with a hike at Glen Eyre in the snow when it was 11 degrees outside.  I don't think I've ever been so cold. In 2019 I started studying with a "real" artist.  She's absolutely fantastic...check out here website here .  She's definitely making me a better artist. In February we visited Jillian in Iowa...look familiar?  A blizzard while we were there. In March we completed my beautiful she shed studio. In April we took our first ever trip out to the Florrisant Fossil beds for a hike. This young man graduated in May...yes, I am really old. Family and friends came for the celebration. We did a little sight seeing at the Royal Gorge. Shiloh competed at the Canon City Deed of Arms in June. I finally got my dream RV...I'm still waiting for an off...