Feeling Thankful

This is where I see myself when I close my eyes. In front of a sturdy easel pushing paint (here I am in my basement studio). I’m finally doing it. I get so engrossed in my painting that I can almost ignore the noisy furnace and my husband's dusty "Bowflex" that are sharing the space with me.

I have so much to feel thankful for in my life. I know appreciation is a survival skill because things can get pretty nutty. This year has been a doozy with family health challenges, intense pressures from all angles, and loss. If you can't find gratitude for those absolutely perfect moments, even when times are tough and the cynicism wants to take over (I can be sarcastic at times, ya know!), you're just not doing it right.

Right now, I am focusing on gratitude toward myself - for having discovered that I could find both the time and the space to work my artistic passions into my daily life. It wasn’t obvious at first but the vision to do this was always within me. I just had to make the effort to find it and I am thankful that I did.

Shift's End in Bruges, Oil on Canvas, 24x24. This new painting will be on display at the Rockville Art League (RAL) Juried Members' Winter Show, 12/8/19-1/24/20 at the Glenview Mansion.

What are you thankful for these days?