And... a Change of Plans

Because: Staying Connected in Challenging Times

So, I had decided to streamline my workweek, reducing the number of social media sites that I post on. I’d planned to limit myself to Patreon and to BlueSky, with an occasional update at LinkedIn.

Then, I watched the opening of this video (the 7-11-4 concept part), which - imho - applies to artists wanting to share their art with as many people as possible.

(The middle of the video is mostly about companies with employees, etc. Big yawn. But after that, near the end of that video, the conversation returns to topics that may be useful for artists, indie authors, etc.)

YouTube link:

And then… well, it’s been a fairly unsettling week. Suddenly, I’m realizing how important it is to stay very connected with friends, both local and distant.

So…

Yes, I’m keeping this Substack account despite its glitches. However, I’ll probably post once a week. (Well, maybe. A whole lot is up in the air right now.)

In general, we’re still booking Airbnbs for a month at a time, while I work on my career. My husband has a job at a company that he likes, but neither of us are willing to commit to even a nine-month lease for an apartment.

We'll move as soon as we see a viable way to (finally!) put down roots, probably outside the U.S. (Top choices - in order - include Ireland, the U.K., France, or maybe Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island, in Canada.)

Meanwhile, since retiring one of my pen names, I have far more time/energy/focus for my art and writing (mostly fiction). Besides, the now-retired pen name had become more annoying than it was fun.

So, with the extra time, I’m working on art, especially - but not exclusively - torn-paper collages.

Here’s a recent one, though this photo is a bit blurry. (Oops.) The original art is 9” x 12”. I like how the cupola grid echoes that of the lobster traps, the green pole references the tree with leaves wrapped around it. Everything reminds me of New England. And yes, we’re especially missing Route 1 along coastal Maine (USA).

The following collage, created that same day, creeped me out when I was drawn to the phrase “About to Get Real.” I’m still uneasy with that, seeing the turbulence in the U.S. since then. The original is about 5” x 7”. I’m not sure that I even like it, but there it is.

This third one - made that same day - isn’t complete yet. It’s about 4” x 5”, and I plan to add gold accents to it. I love its simplicity.

And finally, here’s one of my latest “blocks” drawings in the Pandorica series. It’s on 9” x 12” paper, drawn with a zero-point Rapidograph pen. It still needs some tidying.

I love creating these, as the process is so relaxing. (All of my art is on acid-free, cold-pressed watercolor paper.)

Last night, we went to EPCOT to escape from recent national news. It was a lovely, cool evening.

The park was very crowded. Despite that, we went on two rides, and then wandered around the park, admiring the lights. EPCOT is so lovely after dark!

My favorite part of the evening was visiting EPCOT’s Communicore Hall. Too often, it looks like a school cafeteria. (I’m not kidding.)

However, for Disney’s Festival of the Arts, the hall has been converted into a display celebrating costuming and set design. It’s magnificent!

Right away, I was charmed by the display showing a sewing machine and costuming elements. As someone who’s made a lot of fabric art, the clutter of this scene felt very cozy, familiar, and welcoming.

The actual costumes were equally dazzling. Here’s a photo of some of them.

So, that’s what I’ve been doing, so far this week.

I’ll return here in about a week, sharing more updates, more art, and probably more photos, and updates about my social media plans.

I hope your week is going well, and you’re having fun every day!

Cheerfully,