Doing My Thing

I was asked a few days ago, by an octogenarian, mind you, what is "my thing"? Without skipping a beat, as I watched my two darling children zip into the kitchen of the house we were visiting, I replied, "chasing the kids around". Then, 30 seconds later, I added, "I like to sit quietly with a book"--and I made the baby sign for book as I said it--"or crochet or sew." And then, in my own head, I said to myself, "I like to paint."

It has been so long since I painted something serious, that it feels like a half-truth to say that I'm a painter. But I tell Valerie all the time that I'm an artist. Which is a looser term. I do creative and artistic things all the time. Like parenting!

But back in another life, I was a painter. And it was awesome. Here's proof:

Self Portrait with Mourning Dove, oil, 1993

Watercolor Self Portrait, 1998

Self Portrait, acrylic, 2000

There are many, many more, of course. I have painted everyone in my immediate family, and all my grandparents. I love doing portraits. That one in 2000 was the last big acrylic painting I did. After that, I got really busy with my teaching career. However, now that I am BUSY with kids, I ask myself, what the heck did I do with all my free time back then? Oh yeah, relax, read, nap, watch movies, spend time with Tom.

The last self portrait I did was for a staff project at the school where I was teaching. To me, it really shows the transition I had made, how my priorities had shifted.

Self Portrait 01-01

Well, there are many more portraits in me yet to paint. Including my kids--but it is impossible to get them to hold still! And I have other artistic goals ahead of me, like home murals. Lots of fun and challenge for someday...and with how fast my kids are growing up, it is just around the corner.