So it's September...

September. For many that means the kids are back to school or vacation time is over. For me it means…Open Studio.

Cleaning Studio shelves and framing too.

Wall prep and deciding on new color...

Piles of framed art

Yet another improvement project....

     And what does that mean? The obvious is… we makes lots of to-do lists, do quite a bit of cleaning around the house, always have a few special improvement projects, think menu, drinks, etc and also try to think of ways to make Open Studio special and interesting for anyone who come. This year I am doing a paint demo and a friend of mine who owns a frame shop is coming to talk about framing.

     But Open Studio is more than all these lists. Inevitably it’s a time to take an inventory of my year as I am looking thru everything, organizing and framing up work to display for this event. It’s always a bit of a roller-coaster ride; some days I’m happy and others I’m not but in the long run I am proud of what’s displayed and where I’m heading. This process helps me clarify where I need to focus over the coming months and the next year.

     And then there is the people factor. Every year as we go thru all the prep and cross off the items on the lists, we wonder who, if anyone will show up. When we finally get to Open Studio, one of my favorite parts is seeing familiar faces coming through the door AND new ones too. It's a joy to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. It’s also fun to see which paintings people respond to, what questions they have or just hear their stories about how Art has been a part of their lives. It always restores my faith in the power of Art to connect us, even when I don’t feel it needs any restoration, it gets a good boost anyway.

We are just a few weeks out from this years Open Studio as I write this. I hope to see you this year. If you aren't local Check out my webpage because we be Live streaming the demo and framing talk.