I am participating in Birdtober! There are a few Birdtober art challenges happening this month- I am participating in the one hosted by Kayla Fisk Birds. I’m really happy I stumbled on this bird art challenge. I love all the other October challenges, but it always comes back to birds for me. :) Especially since I have another show scheduled at Seward Park Audubon in January!
This week as I sat with my coffee, I had a revelation.
This is a big word and one might find the revelation that I had small and rather obvious, but sometimes a concept that you already know can hit differently one day and become...a revelation.
A lot of what I experienced in 2018 was hard, like a rock being tumbled in the waves and sand, over and over and over until it's smooth and shiny; but at the same time also exciting and new. There were two things that happened in the fall that completely changed the trajectory of my art, in a way that was both surprising and which felt like coming home at last.
The grasses crinkled as I sat down quietly to wait. The small animal garden at Earthfire institute was sunny but chilly, as a small group of retreat goers waited to be introduced to our animal ambassador for the afternoon- a remarkable coyote named Faerytale.
I felt a pinch near my eyebrow and brushed my hand past the area, thinking it was some kind of small flying insect. I was busy working on my iPhone while my kids played next to me on the school playground after school.
Pinch. Swipe.
Pinch. Swipe.
What IS that? ...
I have a confession.
From a young age I was fascinated by the Earth. Animals, plants, rocks- pretty much anything I could find outside- but especially animals. I loved spending time with them, learning about them, and drawing them. Even as a child, I knew that I wanted to do more to help. One of my first (somewhat dubious) attempts was in the fifth grade and my belated apologies go out to anyone who fielded one of my phone calls.
