Once I start painting, I find it very difficult to stop.  In my office, I work my day job at one desk and do my painting at another that stands at a 90-degree angle next to it.  I find myself wistfully glancing at my artwork while I type doctors' notes, and sometimes I have to stop, take a break, and add a couple of brush strokes when I just can't take it anymore.

Last night, I worked into the wee hours of the morning.  I do this frequently, and sometimes I have to actually set an alarm on my smartphone to remind me to go to bed if the next day is a workday.  Fortunately, on weekends, I'm a free agent, able to stay up until 5 a.m. and sleep until 11.

I've been asked about my "process" and had to think about what that meant exactly.  What I found common to nearly every multi-hour painting session was that I always have music playing.  I've tried TV, but I get too distracted by what's happening on the screen and can't focus on what I'm painting.  Sometimes it really messes up what I'm doing.  Music, however, keeps me focused as if I'm in a trance. Now, the different genres of music can make a big difference in what I'm painting, and vice versa.  When I'm working on a fantasy piece, such as my mermaids, I want soft, ethereal music for the smooth lines and the surreal world I travel to in my mind.  I have a few Pandora stations for different work.  Celtic Woman, Enya, and Libera are all fantasy painting music, whereas for a very abstract or playful piece with a lot of quick brushstrokes, I want to hear something upbeat like '80s music, Chopin, or even dubstep.  It just depends on the mood I'm in and what kind of work I want to produce.  I have painted in silence, which I prefer to any other distraction, except music.

It's kind of amazing how my mood can shift with music.  Using two art forms together to communicate my "message" or just express the pictures going on in my brain, to me that's the highest form of meditation.  I'm thankful for my ability to do this art form and for the music other artists create.  Sometimes music actually inspires new ideas that I can't shake until they are at least sketched.  It's a wonderful phenomenon.

I've fallen in love with the process called screen printing.  For the longest time, I could not understand how it was done or why.  Now I do.  The results can be beautiful.  It's true that I can't resist a new project, even when all my other projects are unfinished.  At least this one can stay on the back burner for a little longer. 

I'm determined to get at least two more things finished before I pick up another one.  The first is my book, and the second is a commission I've been working on for longer than I care to admit.  The buyer is a very patient person but probably thinks I've abandoned the project altogether.  It will be a surprise when it finally gets delivered.

The dragging issue on my mind is:  Do I go back to school?  If so, for what?

I don't know what the next 45 years hold, but I have enough curiosity and desire to fill up every second.  How many more skills and projects can I squeeze into the rest of my life?  I guess only time will tell.  I'm starting right....NOW!

I'm still learning programming, but I have to diversify daily to keep from falling asleep at the keyboard. Reinvention, or reclamation perhaps, is a long process.

The children's book I'm working on has been written and sketched out.  Only a couple of pages still need drawings.  Now I've started the process of really painting the pictures.  I printed out a mock-up of the whole book for my son (who is 17) and showed him the first painting. He actually sat and read the whole thing. My original bear is, of course, a Louisiana black bear, in keeping with the family tradition of home-state promotion.  My son, however, thought the bear I painted might be a little too scary for little kids.  This is coming from a teenager.  Then, of course, he followed with, "It should be a Kodiak bear."  Oh, yes, that's very cuddly.  The most dangerous and aggressive of all bears is less scary than a little black bear?  Well, I figured even some black bears have slightly greyish or brownish fur, so I lightened him up a bit and made him a little more friendly for the book.  My son did enjoy the story, which says a lot, because if he didn't like it, or just didn't care (which was more likely), I never would have heard, "I like it."

In addition, I'm back on the trail of researching publishers and literary agents, because once the book is done, I want to hit the ground running.  So much to do, so little time.

I have had some luck in the day job area.  I have nearly enough work with my current job and contacted a previous employer about some extra work, so now I don't have to be frantic about my immediate future.  This is a big relief.

Now I can focus on creating my art and my book and redesigning myself.  I have so much to do, so I'm going to cut this post short and get back to painting.  My bear is revised, and the second panel is started.  I'm very excited about having shipped off a commissioned painting to its owner today.

I don't know if I've ever said this before, but I think I'm looking forward to autumn.