Landed and settling in

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I have been gone much of July, starting with a trip to Barcelona, Spain, then to Nashville to visit my daughter and grandchildren, finally to paint with Woodstock artist Christie Scheele for four days in Provincetown at the end of Cape Cod. I am home now...but not sure for how long....

It has been a summer where I have had little time to think about my travel phobias; I just put on my big girl panties and did it.  Don't know if it is was the EMDR, getting older and braver, or help from GPS, but I had little if any anxiety about traveling - save for a few instances in Barcelona when 1) I got lost in an immense building and forgot where my friends were sitting in the outside cafes and 2) when I stopped to take a few photos on the street and my friends disappeared around the corner in what was only a few seconds.  I don't speak Spanish, many there did not speak English, and it put me into instant anxiety mode.  I lived through it and eventually found them, and quickly got over my anger which arose out of anxiety. 

But those moments were few and far between, and I applaud myself for taking the risks,  and going on trips that changed my life/art.   I think that there are several blogs that I can write about the experiences.

And because I have not had time to update my website, I had two of my abstract pieces in a show at the Dog House Gallery in Woodstock, which ends today....and I have an encaustic painting of Mt. Tremper bungalows from my series at the Woodstock Art Asso. and Museum which ends next Sunday.  No other shows planned for now, and I should take some time to check out calls for art.

And school....I still don't know if I have a full time teaching job yet.  With so many rumors about more staff being cut, and/or programs being cut, I am not sure where I stand.  I have been teaching for 20 years, and at this point in my life who knew I could be looking at more change.  Every year I face change as I don't have one of those teaching jobs where you do the same thing over and over. My courses change, the kids change, or I decide to change the way I teach, or what I teach.  If school change doesn't complicate things, my own way of working/learning/teaching does.
 
The bottom line is, travel, change, etc. keeps Patti from being stale. Or boring. The challenge for me is to stay centered, calm, and focused in what I do. And that might take a lifetime.

Today's art...fields in the Spanish countryside.  Nearly completed....started in Provincetown, finished in Kingston.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Welcome home! I've missed your postings.
Janet
7:51 PM
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