It's with February's dead weight upon us, the body in a rebellious stance craving sun and movement, color, and warmth, I realize the vital importance of art, of all kinds, in all forms.
My palette explodes with vibrant colors, as if I can bring Spring into my window's view if I get the right combination, as if maybe it will show up sooner...
The Upstairs Studio provides a shelter away from the gray. A burst of vital breath to the soul, not only as a physical place to come to paint and create, but as a sacred space to gather our "tribe", a coming together, a community of ideas, of understanding, of celebration, and of honoring the creative spirit. I did not get the true value of this until this morning's epiphany, that this space, collectively created, has become so much more than it's walls and paint. It is an ever growing, evolving, changing life form, fastly becoming a pillar in the Anchorage art community. It's a warm welcome, with big warm hugging arms, a reassuring pulse like a slow beating heart, beckoning the soul to come in, stay a while...