Winter Crazies

It has been a while. Like many people in the United States we experienced a cold snap a couple weeks ago now. Temperatures got down to -27 with windchill and the snow and ice didn't melt for a week and some change. I'm normally a fan of winter but taking care of animals in this sort of extreme was a little much for me. Keeping unfrozen water available, keeping animals warm, and providing extra feed was a big part of my time during the freeze. Kelso and Jelly began to shiver as the temperatures dropped to 10 degrees, so the equines got blankets, which I had to rush out and get (and was fortunate a place nearby had some). Dove didnt seem to mind the cold, but for peace of mind I put a blanket on her too. Unfortunately I did lose one animal to the cold, a guinea keet. She stayed out of the coop one night and without the wind break and the warmth of her comrades she became unwell. She passed a few days later despite seeming to be coming back around. I'm not sure if I will ever really get used to the death that happens on homesteads/farms. I know it is a part of the deal, but I can't help but wonder if I could have done something more each time one passes.

Once the cold snap broke the weather became amazing. After the holidays followed by the cold snap, I was feeling really pent up. I just wanted to get things in order and get back to creating art. I've been doing a deep organize of my garage which has been a horrible unusable cave of despair since we moved to the homestead. Finally throwing things away, power washing, and putting things in containers and shelves has lifted a weight off my shoulders. Turns out when you need a hammer and can find it in 2 seconds because it has a place to be can really improve a persons mood.

With the new year I've been thinking a lot about my art and my career. Looking back at my old work and my recent work I miss the creativity of my older work. In recent years the constant moving has worn on me. I am officially burnt out on the cross country moves and it has reflected in my work, quality and quantity. I want to return to being more explorative with my work and less afraid of judgement. At the same time, I feel I need to focus my work. I have great capability to create a lot of work, but lack nuance. I've never been a great business person by nature, but I'm entering a phase of life where I need to improve this aspect to move forward.

On that note, I've made greater efforts to return to practicing basics. It seems boring, but I'm always inspired after a mundane session of life drawing. Here are some sketches from the museum.