Around Town

I've been painting like crazy since I got home, and I don't tend to push myself to sketch if I'm making art exhaustively in another direction, but I did finally get my sketchbook back out Sunday, and it felt good. I had biked to church and found myself with extra time, since I usually walk instead. I wanted to do a quick sketch of the chapel with the paraments I had sewn a few years ago. It turned into a muddy mess, though. So after church I cycled over to the park to spend a little time before meeting friends for brunch, and I decided to add trees. Trees make everything better. It was fun to sit on the other side of the park than I usually do -- faster to get there on my bicycle.

Then I continued on to Overton Square for jazz brunch at Lafayette's. All three of Di Anne Price's "boyfriends" now play with a guitarist there every Sunday. I so miss Di Anne on piano and singing her songs, but it's good to still have Sunday music with the guys.

One last sketch is kicking around from last week. My friend Elizabeth Alley gave a lecture about her current show at Dixon, which is such an amazing experience to have. I always learn from her and wanted to go hear what she had to say. It was fun to have a "professional development day," hear a great lecture, and go through the exhibitions there a second time before heading home to paint some more. Of course I sketched as I listened. My favorite thing she talked about was her "studio journal." I keep these sketch journals, and I keep a separate prose one for writing more in depth. I write about my art in the prose one, but those thoughts can get buried in all the other verbiage. A studio journal is genius, and I started one this week. It's always good to hear other folks on their art practice.