My to do list for 2019
Listen
Not seek approval
Be 4 (as in how I felt at 4 years of age at my teeny table of art supplies)

I’ve reached that delicious point in my life that I don’t have to worry so much about making a living. While I still want to work, the focus will be more on creating good work than “sellable” work. These two are not mutually exclusive, but the attitude in creation is certainly different.

I want to listen to the medium, trusting instinct, expressing ideas, making something that moves me in some way.

The other day I suddenly found myself painting. I had not painted for many months, so it was a refreshing change. I found photos of some paintings I had done decades ago and remembered how much I have always loved drawing the figure. I like simple figures in space, not a lot of detail in the background. Body language, color, marks. I had a blast. Maybe this was the first step on the new path.

This piece is called Upstream. It is about the never-ending effort of many women to get the same respect/pay/opportunity as men. It’s about having our voices lost in translation—when men discount what we may say, or the experience we’re trying to express. It’s most certainly influenced by recent and it’s-about-@##%ing-time focus on sexual abuse.