Those of you who read this blog are aware that it’s not unusual for me to go for a stretch between posts. Mostly, it is just that life distracts me, and then I feel guilty for not posting and that guilt pushes me to procrastinate even more (anyone out there who can relate?).
This time it’s different. This time, I have a real, honest-to-goodness excuse.
“Daylilies”, the first painting in my Concussion Series. This was before the deer ate the lilies…
On May 13, I sustained a severe concussion. Just an accident in the home, involving a puppy and the corner of the coffee table. At the time, I had no idea how long it would take to approach a normal life again.
It was seven weeks before I could pick up a paint brush.
And even then, it needed to be very simplified. There was only stamina for about half an hour of painting. Decisions -- type of paint, colors, paper, subject matter -- had to be made ahead of time.
The art that resulted is a radical departure from any I’ve done before. Plein aire watercolor sketches of the world directly around me, they have an immediate and ethereal quality. I did about one a week. They are called the Concussion Series. There are thirteen of them, two have sold already.
Today, I was officially discharged from my last vision therapy, begun due to the damage from the concussion. Though still not completely healed, I am most of the way there. Far enough along to declare that I have painted the last of the Concussion Series, and am now ready for what’s next on the horizon.