Overwintering or dead?

 

Overwintering or dead?

It's not always easy to tell in the middle of winter. It isn't until spring comes along and everything starts to sprout again that we see where the leaves aren't coming through. Which ideas, after a hiatus, just aren't alive anymore? Sometimes things come to an end, and that's okay. Knowing when to let go of an idea, a project, even a friendship, helps us to move on and not put energy into something that is never going to bear fruit.

So when the winter is over, check everything over and make sure it is worth the water, the time, the weeding, and the fertiliser that it will need to assure that it is fruitful.

Are you prickly?

Are you prickly to deal with? What is someone else's experience of you?

That latter question was one I read in a blog post this week. When these cacti turned up on my page, I knew that the question had been going round in my head. 

So, when someone else encounters you, do they have a pleasant experience? Are you a delight or a monster to deal with? Are you kind and polite to those who serve you? As someone who works in retail, I work really hard to be understanding if someone who is serving me has to deliver news that is not really what I want to hear. Generally it is not their fault and they don't necessarily have the power or authority to do anything about it. 

Are you making excuses for your bad behaviour? If you're having a bad day, there is no excuse to visit it on other people. And if you do find that your prickliness has leaked out, be quick to apologise. Most people are understanding, but not if you let things fester!

New paintings

I've been working on a new set of pieces - mainly acrylic, but also with some collage (in the deep, deep layers!) acrylic paint pens, and water-soluble oil pastel. They are about transition, waiting, and getting through things. This is my artist statement:

"My work has its basis in abstract expressionism, using acrylics, collage, and water-soluble pastels to investigate the way we count our way down to - or through - everyday, dreaded, or looked-forward-to experiences. My canvases explore how we mark our days, whether literally on our calendars, or emotionally, as we approach those things we are dreading or waiting for with anticipation. Whether we are counting the days of a year to mark menopause, tallying chemo doses, or marking time until we can leave a situation we’re not happy about, as humans we are aware that our days are numbered."

The piece above is called Breathe. The one below Overwhelm, and the one below that Unsettled. There are a few close-ups further down.