Work! I had a small illustration project under a quick deadline, so had to put my head down and pencil to humming for about a week. Project complete? Check!
I was also doing prep work for the 4-week Drawing Essentials class that I'm leading at the Salida SteamPlant, which started yesterday. Class underway? Check!
I also had some out of town visitors and I've been checking in every day with a friend's business while she's away. Miscellaneous distractions? Check!
All of which brings me to the state of affairs today... which is this:
I am moving.
Not a little throw-it-in-your-friend's-pickup-and-haul-it-across-town sort of move. Nope. This is going to be a 2200+ mile, multi-day, cross-country endeavor. And not a start-slowly-work-your-way-up-to-it departure date. Oh, no. I'm leaving at the end of October, moving from Colorado to Maine.
I must be out of my mind.
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| I'm doing WHAT? WHEN? |
The story of how I got to this point is long and somewhat convoluted, so let's just say it's a case of something that simmered for a long time without ever becoming a meal... and when I turned up the heat it just boiled over.
So here I am, trying to cull my belongings down to a moveable volume, figure out how to transport and store all my artwork inventory (and my press), and deal with a growing to-do list... in just four more weeks.
Somehow I also thought I'd do a new lino before I left, too, but I'm beginning to believe that's a tad too ambitious. We'll see. I have a big one on the drawing board... I might have to modify my goals.
In the meantime, I've already scheduled my first Maine gig! I'll be a presenter at the Midcoast PechaKucha Night at the Camden Opera House on November 10. I'd not heard of the PechaKucha format, but it's pretty cool. I get 20 slides for 20 seconds each... so not quite seven minutes to tell my story and introduce myself to a new community. It turns out PechaKucha is a worldwide phenomenon, you can check it out on the PechaKucha website.
Before you go wandering off to watch PechaKucha videos, though, here's a linocut in honor of the autumn season. See if you can find the little hawk who's moving at the same speed I am at the moment.
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| "Fleeting," reduction linocut, 12 x 18" Embiggen it to find the little sharp-shinned hawk. |
Colorado will definitely miss you! Maine is very fortunate.
ReplyDeleteIt kind of feels like I'm just swapping over... instead of spending most of the year here and maybe a fourth of it in Maine, I'm going to be the other way around. We'll see!
DeleteYeah! Maine is where you should be (I'm coming to visit)
ReplyDelete:-) Okay! I've got to find a place to live first, but then come on up!
DeleteI'm happy for you!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jane! Fingers crossed I get to see you all this winter!
DeleteThis all sounds very exciting! Have fun and we will all be watching for your next post. Safe travels
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patti! I'm in overdrive here... trying not to panic about everything I have to do.
Deletebusy busy busy
ReplyDeletegood luck with the move and don't get too stressed out.
we had to do a few presentation in the PechaKucha style, soem went better then others :p
Thanks, Jen! Hey guess what? This move puts me 2200 miles closer to Scotland! :-)
Deletelol very true, shorter flight both ways :)
DeleteI love the sharp-shinned hawk piece! Almost but not quite replacing my favorite of the pelican. Best moving wishes! Millie
ReplyDeleteThanks, Millie!
DeleteI had no idea about PechaKucha, and I need to share this with my art community down here in FL. Thanks! And — good luck & smoothest sailing possible with the move. Nothing like adding a press to the stress!
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of it, either... but it seems like a really cool (and kind of big deal) thing! Yes... the press. Ugh.
DeleteI wondered when you'd decide to just make Maine home. Good for you! And may the move go as smoothly as possible. I've had other friends (mostly writers) do the PechaKucha thing, and it was a great experience for them. You'll be wonderful, I know. And popular. Can't wait to hear where you land!
ReplyDeleteYeah, tired of hemming and hawing... time to just GO. PechaKucha will be fun, although I'm finding that having to write a well-timed script is a challenge! No winging it for me this time!
DeleteWhere in Maine are you moving? I'm a printmaker living in Belfast, Maine. I work with a group of Linocut artists in Waldoboro, under the guidance of Holly Berry. Always room for more printmakers here. Looking forward to your arrival!
ReplyDeleteHi Leslie! I know Holly... we finally met in person last summer when I was in Bremen, so I'm sure we'll connect when I get there. I'm looking forward to having so many printmakers in the neighborhood!
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