News –January 2016

Happy New Year!

I am very happy to be back at the keyboard for my WordPress weblogs (NC Sun Dog, NC Prism).

Back in late 2014, I was an unhappy camper with far too much work for others and far too little work on my own projects. As a writer, photographer, and artist I was aching in my heart and my head. At some point I realized the only cure was to jump back into my creative work. To that end, I stopped working on most of my online sites and did only what was absolutely necessary for my “day job.”

It was the best thing I’ve done for myself in decades. I wrote until some letters on my keyboard vanished and I had to rely on that touch-typing class to remember where the letters are. I took photographs of people and animals and places. I sketched my way through several bins of pencil shavings. I ruined several pairs of jeans wiping paint off my hands while I finished many canvases and boards.

By mid-2015, I had actual manuscripts and full sketchbooks with enough drawings to organize into series of works. I had so many paintings I had little wall space left in the house.

I was happy again.

Now it is December of 2015 and I am moving to the next stage: organizing and completing current projects, envisioning a few new ones, and beginning to step back into the light of day. It is time to rejoin the flow of creativity that surrounds me.

My weblogs are a first toe-in-the-water. I have focused a bit more on what I want to accomplish, found designs I am comfortable using, and begun research on some of the things I hope to cover.

2016 will look different on NC SunDog. I will be posting into five categories this year.

1.  News will highlight my current projects as well as when and where I might be at exhibitions, readings, or conferences. If I discover something or someone whose work intrigues me, I most likely will mention it here.
2.  Art Projects provides information on series of images I am working on or techniques I am exploring. I am always looking for exhibition or publication opportunities so if you see something you like, please contact me.
3.  Drinking from the River shares ideas, quotes, music, or images that I will be using to inspire my work. I think of creative work and the knowledge of our cultures as something that flows through all of us. It is much like a river that tempts us to play in its water as it rushes past. If you find inspiration here and would like to share the results, let me know.
4. Influences on My Work will be occasional posts. These may be about artists or musicians or writers whose work I admire or find helpful in some way. Because I am fortunate to know many other creative types, I may write about some I know personally whose work I like.
5.  Writing Projects focuses on the ideas I am exploring. Some posts may be excerpts from collections of stories I am creating. Some will share research into topics I am considering for future pieces of fiction or nonfiction.

 

 

May the strength of three be in your journey.

–Old Irish blessing