Artists in the Mountains

I may have used this little watercolor before in a blog, but it so captures the essence of my beloved Catskills.

I miss the mountains. I hated them when I was a teen as I was transplanted from Long Island, a place where there was tons of kids in a block to hang with, into a hamlet (A HAMLET - not even a town!)in the middle of nowhere, with trees, chipmunks, and other wildlife to converse with.

I hated my life back then. I was depressed, and, with good reason.

But now, as an adult, I yearn for the coolness of the forest, the smell of the pines, the sound of the wind when it roars down the mountains. I wish I had the privacy that I once had..where you could walk outside with nothing or everything on.

Last night's party at Judith's house was splendid. She lives off Route 28, one of the main routes through the Catskill Mountains, in a log style home, with a terraced waterfall and pond full of thousands of poly wogs, surrounded by woods and bordering on state land in the Catskills.

Her house was filled with artwork, mostly assemblage as she is an assemblage artist herself. The food was great, and the party was graced by many artists. It has been a long time since I have been amongst so many people, and I felt ready to be social again. The winter and the stress in my life had taken its toll, and I felt like I was becoming invisible and fading into a ghost of my former self.

Sunlight and warmth has given me energy. The color in the landscape has opened my eyes again. The touch and smell of the earth has given me hope and life back. I am beginning to feel once more like the Maidenform girl..you never know WHERE I might show up.

Off to plan the day, TO SPRING! patti