Well here it is -- December!

Hi everyone,

The month of snow, presents, trees, and parties
has launched. The more I think about December,
the more I think the strategy of all those holidays in
every culture this month with feasts and presents,
and singing makes absolute sense. By the time it's all over, you
are so ready for quiet and the beginning of a new year.

But I will miss my current crop of students. They have been
a complete treat to work with. So I don't want to bore you,
but for the next week or so, marking their work is going to
be my main job.

I hope you are enjoying the month so far, that the world economic
crisis is not frightening you too badly. I hope you aren't
shopping all the time, and that if you're a painter, you're
getting time to paint. I keep meeting people who are
members of art clubs, who hope to paint one day, but not
yet. When I listen to their explanations -- always valid
-- I think, 'I wish you'd start painting (or drawing, or sculpting,
or _______ fill in the blank) now. It feels so good to do
something creative, and frequently one artistic work leads
to the next -- and to something infinitely more dangerous,
and tempting -- ideas. Those ideas build, swirl, take over
your sleeping and waking hours and crave expression.

Art group sketch
Acrylic on bond paper
18 x 24 inches

I'm putting another quick drawing from my art group
on the blog tonight. It's much softer than some of
my work, so I thought it might make a nice change.
The model had exquisite hair, and fragile looking skin.

Have a relishing-the-month-ahead day!