Like most of us, I spend the period immediately following the holidays trying to catch my breath. The compacted burst of energy expended in the sprint of celebration gives way first to a trot, then a slow walk, and then hopefully, respite. As a large mammal, I relish this “hibernation time” and squeeze as much relaxation as possible out of the short, dark days of winter. I tell myself that I deserve the midday nap, the rescheduling of an appointment, or putting off of a mundane chore. Of course, it’s all procrastination. But still…it feels pretty good.

EXCEPT in the studio. Time away from making art only makes it harder to make art when you finally get off your ass and stand again before the easel. Your visual calibration is off. You find yourself seeing color less acutely and the pieces of a composition take longer to fit into the perfect spot. Your brush feels stiff (as does your lower back) and your tubes of pigment are difficult to crack open due to negligence. And you know this. You’ve been painting for a long time and it’s not like the holidays and their aftermath are a surprise. Yet every year I fall into the same pattern and arise from the couch in mid-to-late January wondering why I haven’t made any new paintings yet. It would be easy to say it’s all part of the process, but it’s more likely just laziness.

At any rate, last week I stumbled down to Intramural Studio, dusted off my workspace and got back to work. After some sketching, watercolor wandering and false starts, this painting of Queen Cleans emerged. The subject matter surprised me, to tell the truth. I thought I’d left vintage signage and crusty urban landscapes behind a few years ago. But, I’ve learned to trust in my internal compass, so here it is. Don’t know what’s next in the queue, but I’ll keep you posted.