I went out for a walk yesterday morning for the first time since the late January snowstorm.  It was just over 20 degrees, but it was sunny and ended up being a pleasant walk.  The temperatures in our area have remained below freezing, so all of the snow is still covering the ground and pushed up against the curbs.  It felt a little bit like being back in Minnesota, where the snow falls, and remains until the Spring.  As a lover of snow, I have really missed that.  Snow in the mid-Atlantic region usually falls, turns to slush, and melts within a few days if not sooner.  It’s been a pain for parking downtown, and many turn lanes still aren’t plowed properly, but I’ve enjoyed the snow and cold while it’s here. Here are my four things for the week: Van Gogh, Many Beautiful Things, reckless trust, and book work.

I usually write in the morning.  It’s when my mind is fresh, and the words flow best.  But this morning, as I eyed a ball of cat hair fluff scurry across the studio floor, I decided to get the vacuum, dust cloth, and tidy things up beyond just a quick hit with the vacuum.  I moved everything sitting on surfaces (which is a lot of things), and vacuumed every bit of cat hair and dust I could spot.  I put things away that have been hanging out on the counter or my desk, waiting for a home.  I didn’t get into the nitty-gritty of organizing some of the problematic storage spaces, but I did get the studio squeaky clean, which felt really good. Now, I am ready to write and then paint.   what I’m reading Instead of sharing something I’m reading, I’m going to share a book I wish

I know I have a reputation for being a highly productive person here on this blog, but there are days when I faff about and waste time with the best of them.  I’ve been glued to the weather reports, surfing blankly online, and generally piddling the morning away.  I did catch up with my parents, shipped out a commissioned painting, and varnished another.  But I’ve been avoiding diving into actual work.  I think the anticipation of a significant snow event has me feeling ready to hunker down and enjoy being socked in. Our efforts to organize the garage last summer have paid off, and we’re able to park two of our vehicles there to shelter them from the snow.  Jeff reved up the generator and filled up the gas cans.  I ordered groceries and charged power packs.  I think we’re set. I know this incoming storm is affecting a large

As a reminder, my next original art sale is tomorrow, Friday, January 16, 2026, at 1:00 EST.  You can see a sale preview HERE. This week has been a busy one for me!  I came home from helping my parents on Sunday afternoon, so I had to hit the ground running Monday morning to catch up on things I couldn’t do last week away from my studio.  I’ve been catching up on photography, painting, and other things that require more gear than I could take with me.  It’s been a good busy, though.  There are exciting things happening and a lot to look forward to. Here are my four things for the week: Fishing for Elephants, Drops of God, creative stakes, and a manuscript review…     what I’m reading Fishing for Elephants: Insights and Exercises to Inspire Authentic Creativity by Larry Moore. I read this book a few years

I’m at my parents’ house for a few days to help them as my mom recovers from surgery to repair her broken wrist, so my work has been a little different for a couple of days.  That’s also why this blog post is coming out a day late, but hopefully you’re too busy with life and your own creative work to notice.  I did bring along things to do, though, as I continue to plan for 2026 and prepare to launch some new things. So, I’m doing this and that between doling out doses, rotating ice packs, helping around the house, and confiscating expired medication (seriously, one pack of Tylenol Cold my dad had in his med stash was over 24 years old).  We had a good laugh about that, and I bought some new cold medicine that will certainly be more effective. Here are my four things for the

Well, this has been the Monday-est Tuesday I can remember!  I spent almost my entire morning on the phone with tech support because of a Carbonite (backup) glitch that put a 4.2 terabyte log on my hard drive, taking up over half of my enormous hard drive and choking my computer.  Anyway, I’m relieved it was a simple problem, but it’s thrown my day off schedule.  Anyway, such is life.  I wanted to share a few of the gifts I received for Christmas since some of you might enjoy them as well…   Manet & Morisot – I was so excited to receive this book on Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot.  After reading Paris in Ruins a few weeks ago, I was more interested in seeing the “conversation” the pair had in their paintings.  This book shows them side by side and covers their professional and personal relationship in more detail. 

I cannot believe we are a week away from Christmas!  When I was a kid, I felt like December would last forever.  It was torturously long.  As a middle-aged adult, it flies by.  I blinked, and over half of it is gone.  Such is life, though.  The hours are long and the years are short.  I’m looking forward to the quiet, slow days between Christmas and New Year’s, though.  I think that might be my favorite week of the year. Here are my four things for the week: Manet & Morisot, Band of Brothers, doing instead of consuming, and things that make me smile as a business owner.     what I’m reading I finished Paris in Ruins, and it was so good!  If you love history, impressionism, and a good story, do yourself a favor and read this book.  If I could wish a new period miniseries into existence, it

It’s been a cold week here in Maryland, and even as I write this, flurries are gently falling.  We’re not having any sticking snow, but it’s been nice to watch little flakes flutter out of my studio window this morning.  I wish we had more snow!  When we moved here from Minnesota, everyone commented on how happy we must be to leave those winters behind.  In truth, I mourn Minnesota winters.  I loved having snow on the ground all winter, and I miss it.  So, I’m over here rooting for at least one big snow event this winter.  That is not happening today, though, or anytime in the current forecast. What we did have today, though, was sunshine!  It was the first time the sun had come out in days.  I do so much of my work in natural light – painting and photography specifically – that it starts to