I confess my friends that I have not been painting much but I have had my hands in the dirt as I prepare my gardens. My dad and my good friend Molly have been so much help as I prepare what I am lovingly reffering to as my vegetable plot and learn such things as weed identification, thining basics, how to edge, what the hell a mulch is, and all sorts of things I've wanted to know for a long time. Sometimes when my days off go by and I haven't been up to the studio, I fuss at myself for not creating, not playing with color, not doing what I think it is I am supposed to be doing but this time around I put the starbucks show to bed and spent the rest of my time in the dirt. I don't regret a moment and think this is all one continuiumm of dirt and color and growth and weeding and wondering what's going to come up when I do the dirty work. I am tempted to go down to the garden tomorrow morning early with the worms and see what I can draw but more likely I'll go down there and cultivate soil or plant lettuce or put the pansies in. There's a little too much to do frankly but it's all good work, the kind that makes my shoulders hurt a little and has alreday stained the kneecaps of a couple of pairs of jeans.
Everytime I sell work I feel great about myself and the things I make and this time was no different, but I just turned that cash around into groceries and garden and now I'm back to the dirt.
take care,
Rachae;

big thanks again to my dad without whom I wouldn't be here and certainly wouldn't be so excited about growing and learning from growing...