winter

Did I tell you how much I hate winter?

Ok, it is no secret for sure, but not working has the advantage of not having to fight the weather each day. Construction in the winter does not really slow down much, but gets a lot more complex.

And that opening line is one I have used a lot.

So why don’t I move to Arizona or Spain?

Truth is that like a good american, I like to complain. I complain if it is cold, but cold is a new challenge. I complain if it is warm, but warm is very nice. On the other hand, my complaints are more like comments than real dislike ranging to hate.

I do think that spring is sweeter after a cold winter. Winter gives us a reason to prepare.

The plan is to spend today in my studio. Not doing work so much as organizing it, clearing out unused and unusable items, putting books in another area, and generally getting ready for winter’s cold days.

I figured I could run the heater in the studio for 3 hours a day for about $6 a month. That is acceptable for sure.

In the evening, I have been doing my art/craft work in the house on the kitchen table. It has worked out pretty well. I have to come in and fix dinner about 4 or 4:30 and it is dark by the time we finish, so going back to the studio seems a bit like abandoning my beloved.

But I have so enjoyed the hours I have spent in my various studios. I remember in graduate school, where I had an old dorm room for a private studio. I fondly remember going in that room, locking the door, turning on the music and being absorbed by the process of the work I was doing.

Being an artist can be about the art work produced, or it can be about the process. I think I enjoy them both, but maybe the process the most.

In fact, while in graduate school my professor asked me why i was a sculptor, why not a painter, and I told him I liked working with the materials and tools. He grinned and did not ask again.

Today is Alzheimer's support group day. Once a month I meet with a group of caregivers. It is good to go.