Throwing the portfolio out with the recycling

This was not the plan! My portfolio apparently wanted to be reassigned to recycled paper. After depositing a pile of papers into a recycle bin in the dark, my portfolio was no where to be found. A friend and I returned to the bin with a rake and tried to locate the escaped portfolio to no avail. Who could imagine that a week before needing to present the portfolio at an international conference, it would commit suicide and jump into a paper recycle bin. Either it was shy or had very low self-esteem.

Either way, the whole thing needs to be created anew within 5 days. My daughter said it was probably the Universe giving me another chance to create a Stellar portfolio!

My ideal life

My ideal life might not include one specific place called home. Most recently my home is near the Puget Sound. It's a beautiful place with a nice community, but it's small. Many friends and family are across the Sound from 'home' and my studio. I spend a lot of time commuting back and forth across the water to meet with artist friends, critique groups, painting groups, family events, and just general arty stuff.
This home seems much closer and easier to maintain those connections. For what seemed like too many years, we lived in Germany. There were many great things about living there. One of my favorite things was that Europe has all kinds of nooks and crannies to explore. During those years I also did volunteer work in places to get to know the culture better, like in Ecuador, Jamaica, and Ukraine. Turkey is a fabulous place too. People around the world are generally friendly and interesting.
Living overseas was the best way to learn about other cultures. It seems that where we choose to live always has things we love and things that are less than ideal. We are very lucky when we can find a balance so we can focus on the things we love to do and still be close to those we love. It's easier now that I'm mostly a stay-at-home illustrator.

Happy New Decade and a Blue Moon to you!

Wishes for a happy new decade, with a child's ability to find joy in simple pleasures!