Summer 2016

My summer ends this weekend.

What a summer. I started with a six week intensive Drawing II class. It is tiring to be in a classroom for four hours and to create on deadlines and to struggle though art processes. Then there is the homework.

I got a bunch of decluttering done in my garage and have stacks of boxs ready to donate to the fundraiser garage sale to be held in September. We moved some sentimental toys up to the attic, we just could not part with them. Mostly me but some my older son wants.

I got my older son ready to move away to college for the first time, then he did move. I shuttled my younger son around to summer school and we traveled out of state for two national sports competitions for him.

I took no "fun vacation" with family or by myself.

The last big thing this summer was while exhausted cleaning the garage out and doing daily tasks I made the decision that I was ready to take on fitness as a daily project. I have not been truly in shape for 22 years and have not been able to exercise more than two or three times a week in 22 years. I lacked the motivation and drive to do it as a project. For me it has to be an intentional goal, a project, and a major effort. I decided with my upcoming fall art classes at college I will not get what I need from my gym so I quit that gym and invested in a bigger fancier club that offers more classes (up to four held at one time) and has tons of yoga also. Friends had tried talking me into joining a hot yoga only studio for almost $200 a month and another to a regular yoga only place and another to a Booty Barre only place. I decided I need variety. So today marks day 30 in a row of me exercising daily and I have lost at least 10 inches. I didn't take measurements until day 5 so in 24 days lost 10 inches. I am getting stronger and feel fantastic, plus sleep better. But due to a terrible new bus schedule for my son and the coach wanting the athletes to do morning cardio my son and I decided on this new schedule: we wake at 4:45 and are out the door before 5:15 to get to the gym by 5:30 for a one hour workout. I then drop him at the close by high school. About three days a week I return to the gym a second time for yoga to stretch. Since leaving my career I have preferred to sleep until my body naturally wakes up, which is between 7:30-9:am, with the only exception when I had a not really negotiable morning appointment like a college class I really wanted to take this summer.

Oh and I reorganized and decluttered the master walk in bedroom closet which is also household storage.

I have been watching a lot of YouTube videos about contemporary artists, their process, how they got into art making and how they live their life, by John Thornton of Pennsylvania, very interesting stuff. I have been reading books and doing product reviews for the Amazon Vine program. I also have been teaching myself about encaustic painting.

So that is what I have been up to this summer. I have done no drawing or art making. I just have focused on projects and tasks and house stuff.

Monday I start two college classes: Ceramics I and Painting I.