Eye See Now

Months.  It's been months since I last thought seriously about putting up an entry.  I was in retreat -- a cancer retreat.

Chemotherapy sapped my energy and I couldn't face a seemingly self-involved blog.  Everything seemed very trivial for a while.  Now, life is looking much brighter and more important, as are the cyber-spaces taken up by words and art.  While I'm not sure I will ever be a once-a-day girl, I'd like to try to begin to become a more-often girl.  (I use the term 'girl' tongue-in-cheek, age is such a flexible thing)   It is unclear where my art is headed right now.  But then, is it ever clear? I recently did two self-portraits, online presently at ecva.org for an exhibition.  These works have pushed me, and a friend, to begin a portrait project for women in chemo who have lost their hair and, as a result, a sense of self-confidence that comes from looking good.  We are hoping to make strong, beautiful portraits of them.  Should all go well, perhaps we can even raise some money to help fund this project on a large scale -- to reach a much larger audience of cancer victims.

Past that, I don't know what I will create.  I just know that I need to get back to it.  I 'm taking up encaustic painting in addition to my digital montage.  I hope to combine them.  One thing that near death has taught me is that if you want to do something, just do it.  Don't wait for the right time, or the reason, or the money, just do it.  Nike is right.  There is no guarantee of tomorrow.  I don't want to reach the end of this voyage and regret not following an urging of my heart.  Hence, my longing for hot wax is about to become a reality.   

Namaste