85 - IS ANYONE STILL THERE?

Some of my friends and relatives are dealing with incredibly cold and snowy winters and others have escaped to the the warm, sunny south.  As I thought about what to write this week, the question popped into my mind, "Is anyone still reading this or are they too busy - or  forgotten about it - or- have lost interest?"  To date, I haven't had the ability to know if 1, 2 or 100 people are following me each week.  

That is why I need your help.  This week's blog asks the question, "Is anyone still there?"  It would be very helpful for me to know if this is something I should continue to write - even if there are only 1 or 2 interested readers - or if I am doing this only to hone my writing skills and I'm talking to myself.    

At the end of this blog you can make a comment - "I'm here" or "Yes" or anything else you want to say.  Then I'll know whether to carry on or to say "Adios - it has been a blast, but it's time to go!"

I'm going to continue the blog this week and watch for your response - I've been enjoying this adventure, but it's not worth the hours of effort to put this together each week if I'm the only one listening.  Fingers crossed that there's a reason to carry on.

"Royce" passed the critical eye of his grandmother this week, so my signature was added to his portrait and he can now be rolled up and taken home in March.  

My passion to paint was sapped after Don's death in August, 2019, followed by Covid seven months later. Both took their toll, as well as the major life changes I chose to make, i.e. selling my house, moving to a senior's apartment in a new town, becoming a nomad causing more major changes. 

In 2023, a friend commissioned me to paint her grandson as a companion piece to the portrait of her granddaughter that I had done ten years before. 

Finding many excuses to avoid pulling out my painting supplies, I finally began to paint once weekly last winter with my friends in Club Santiago.  

Fearing I had lost my touch after a long arid stretch, I hesitantly began the preparations for the portrait before putting the first stroke of colour on the underpainting.

That beautiful little boy on the canvas smiled his mischievous grin that motivated me to create a lifelike replica of himself on the canvas..  

The strong passion to paint has not fully returned, but the joy I felt when his grandmother said "I love it", has inspired me to work on my next piece - a colourful sunset over the Santiago Bay.  I have approval to use as reference, a photograph by Wayne Stevens, a wonderful photographer wintering in Manzanillo.

Through a need to prove to myself that, even though my hands are not as steady as they once were, I can still work some magic with oils and canvas, my desire to paint is returning.