During the past two weeks with a houseful of friends and family,during quiet moments I would sit down and read a bit of the Frances Hodges Burnett biography. She is the author who wrote The Secret Garden. Of course that was a favorite of mine when I was a child as it was for many children. Burnett was an extremely successful writer and made a good amount of money for a women back in her day. I loved this quote of hers....As long as one has a garden, one has a future and as long as one has a future one is alive. I feel like rewriting that with the same message. As long as one works in the arts one has a future and with a future one is alive. It has been a fabulous week with everyone here in a celebratory mood. And good old summertime weather as well. We picked gobs of beans and peas and ran to the grocery store every day. Swimming was good in the pond and the cat and the dog got along. During the reception at the award ceremony, I met Ernest Hebert the local writer. His wife was also a recipient. She is a painter who decided to use the ubiquitous plaid of New England in many of her paintings. It's quite wonderful. I talked with Ernest a bit and told him how much I had loved his first book where his main character climbs ontop of the infamous Basketville sign in protest. VT was the first state to make it illegal to put billboards on highways so that company placed an enormous sign in a field far from the highway but it was so enormous you could not miss it. It's gone now as is the store Basketville. I am back in the studio now that everyone is gone. Trying to finish up a rather small triptych with panels whose surfaces are very rough and stonelike and inserted in the boxes are small, white, smooth stones. I like the contrast of the rough surfaced panels and the smooth, almost porcelain like, stones. After all this amazing intensity and largeness, it's pleasing to focus inward. There is an intimacy that is rewarding right now working in a small scale.. In this newest triptych, I am trying to catch the grey silver of granite rock with a touch of the green moss growing over parts of it.

It has been a tremendous week. It has almost been a week since getting the phone call that I had won a Ewing Award. Never did I imagine that I would recive this coveted award. Several of my firends have gotten it such as my teacher Numael, Koo Schadler, Craig Altobella. I have been rather quiet about it but did post it on FB and have received almost 100 messages and emails so far. It has reafirmed for me, all the quiet and alone times I have spent in 'a room of my own'. It makes me feel so complete that people are able to embrace my view if the world.

I sometimes feel insecure about this newest work where I am inserting things and stones within the panels. I sometimes worry that it will look too crafty. So often I try to use pieces of things so that it will come across as suggestions. My latest two works are both 48 inches square. I finally used a small tin box with a lid I have had in my possesion for years. It has such character with a lovley blue distressed patina.I put nothing in it which I think ads to its allure. That piece as well as another 48 inch square piece, I submitted to the FAM juried show and hoping to get in. It's a great summer long show. Early June I will deliver works to the Arundel Gallery in Maine and then take some time off to pop over to Ithaca NY to see family. Winning the Ewing Award is definitely energizong so I do look forward to getting back in the studio. Maybe I wont have so many bouts of self doubt now that I have been so validated.