Changes & Such.

                                After                                                                            Before

On this last day of August I look back and wonder where it went? Summer appears to have abruptly turned into Winter as well, and although everyone is happy to see some rain - did it really have to be accompanied by the worst windstorm we have seen in decades, leaving a total mess with fallen trees, power outages and cold behind? I was lucky and didn't feel too much of it here in my sheltered spot and the big trees in the back are thankfully still upright - but my intrepid son-in-law took part in the yearly fundraising Ride to Conquer Cancer from Vancouver to Seattle on the weekend and had the hardest and most dangerous bike ride of his life! He and his team mates are lucky to have survived the torrential rain and fierce wind gusts on Saturday that literally blew them off the road as well as pelted them with debris. The kind of experience that isn't much fun at the time but leaves you with a hell of a story to tell later.
Otherwise it was a productive month: one new painting (Vagabond 3, 36 x 36") saw the light and a painting from May had an almost complete re-working. I liked part of it but was not really satisfied with it as a whole - above you see it as it is now and before - and it has indeed changed, for the better I hope. It is always tricky and as so often when I do this, I wondered partway through and at the end, if I should have just left well enough alone? But it is done and it has now morphed into Vagabond 4 (36 x 36") as well as taken its place as part of a series instead of standing more or less alone.
After that my left wrist was declared healed, the cast came off and I'm slowly able to use both hands again. So this past week I have almost finished a major and much needed re-organizing and clean up of my studio - a wonderful feeling filled with plans and thoughts of what I am going to start working on next??
And to be complete an amazing and almost magical thing happened on August 12. We were celebrating my grandson's 9th birthday at a local restaurant: when my son was about to pay the bill we were told by the excellent server that someone had already paid it, so we only had to pay for the drinks!!!!!! At first we thought it was a joke - but no, a total stranger who had already left, had paid for us! It was no small amount as we were five adults and my four grand children and we were completely stunned; but all the waiter would - or could - tell us was, that the gentleman thought we looked like a very nice family! I still can't get over that someone would do something like that without expecting anything in return and can only say, that nice and generous people do exist and that wonderful things can happen out of the blue when you least expect it! Very encouraging to know that not only disasters happen like that - and I am grateful!
And on that note: goodbye for now!