I got to work on this for about two hours last week though it has taken me until tonight to post: it is hard to face this blog when I am not painting and I haven't painted - really painted not just grabbed a odd hour in the studio - for two weeks or more. The reason for this drought is that Tom and I are finally biting the bullet and converting our garage into a studio: for the first time in our twenty-plus years together we will each have our own space to paint (more on this momentous change another time). For the past two weeks my days have been consumed with issues like what kind of heat to use (wood? pellet? gas?), where to put the window (as high up as possible and yet stay centered), etc., etc. I thought I would be able to work while the construction was going on or at the end of the day after the crew has gone home, but I find that while they are here I am too distracted to concentrate and that after they leave I just fall asleep.

This week one member of the two man crew went on vacation; instead of hoping a replacement could be found I asked if I could replace the missing man. To my surprise my contractor agreed to show me what to do so I could help out (I know absolutely nothing about construction). As a result I have been helping lay the new floor for the past two days and although completely exhausted (it turns out construction is hard work) I'm having fun pretending to be a construction worker and also learning a great deal (no one nails with a hammer anymore, everyone uses an air compressor and just shoots the nails in).

And in my waking dreams I'm still painting, thinking, working out some new ideas...

This painting was inspired by a photograph by Chester Higgins Jr.