November seems to be such a tumultuous time – especially this year. It’s traditionally a time of upheaval – losing our daylight at 4:30 p.m., working to clean up the yard and gardens, and realizing that depending on the first snowfall, we may have 5 or 6 months of intense indoor time ahead of us. I’ve always loved winter; however, with age I’ve become less tolerant of the length of the season. Anticipation of upcoming holiday celebrations is fun, but by March, I’m ready to be outside and in the garden again. And of course, this year, that’s all moot. There surely won’t be a Thanksgiving gathering or a big family Christmas due to ongoing COVID concerns. We are trying to acclimate ourselves to the latest reality – family celebrations alone at home or via Zoom! Ah well, we are thankful every day that those dear to us are staying safe and healthy.
I’m
beginning to think about paintings for the upcoming January 2021 exhibit at
artZ Gallery in Amery. This special month-long show invites members and 2020
guest artists to display paintings that reflect this year’s theme, “Resilience.”
In mid-summer, we realized that a little Pansy had self-seeded in a small crack
in our front steps. It was a prolific bloomer – in spite of the daily traffic
of our enthusiastic dog, Maddie, and countless people coming and going on the
steps – and kept right on blooming through our first snow in
October. This week’s painting is another name for resilience – Tenacity,
is 9” x 9” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, and captures the joyful, tenacious
spirit of the Pansy.
