My dog always knows when Iām getting ready to leave. He attaches himself to me, following me from place to place as I go through my workday. I donāt think Iām dropping non-verbal clues. I think heās listening to my conversations and understands far more than we think dogs are capable of.
Iām heading down to Rockport, Massachusetts today for Cape Ann Plein Air. This is a premier plein air event; a number of people I havenāt seen since the start of the pandemic will be there.
When I get home, I have a week to get organized and then itās off to Sedona Plein Air. There, I know only Ed Buonvecchio and juror John Caggiano. Heāll also be at Cape Ann as a painter this week. Thatās not as weird as it sounds. Thereās really nobody better to judge plein air painting than a fellow plein air artist.
Then itās home in time to set up my schedule for 2023. I have four firm dates on my calendar so far:
- Toward Amazing Color, Sedona, AZāMarch 20-24, 2023. Sedona is a stunningly beautiful place thatās steeped in art history. What better place to learn about color than among the towering red sandstone bluffs, the muted greens of the chaparral, and that big, blue sky? An added plus for northernersāSedona is warm in March!
- Watercolor workshop aboard schooner American EagleāJune 20-24, 2023. This is the summer solstice, which gives us the longest possible period in which to paint. All professional-quality materials are included, and we welcome painters at all levels. In addition to wonderful sailing on an historic vessel, there are beautiful village walks and calm rows around quiet harbors.
- Sea & Sky at SchoodicāAugust 6-11, 2023. This is in Acadia National Park, one of the nationās true beauty spots. Since accommodations are available at the Institute, it saves you the trouble of looking for a hotel in an area thatās truly back of beyond.
- Watercolor workshop aboard schooner American EagleāSeptember 16-20, 2023. Again, all materials are included, and we welcome painters at all levels. This is my favorite time to sail, as the waterās warm and the skies are magnificent. Changing foliage glows against the dark evergreen trees and the deep blues of the bay.
These workshops arenāt up on my website yet, although you can register for Sedona directly. Iāve been a one-woman shop and Iām very busy in the summer. This fall, however, Iām doing things a little differently. My daughter Laura Boucher has been helping me with IT, video, and other online material. Of course, she can only publish what I give her, and Iām just learning about this stuff.
If youāve eyeballed these workshops in prior years, nowās the time to pencil in the dates and email me to make sure you get the updated information as soon as itās published. My workshops regularly sell out.
My gallery has closed for the season. Paintings donāt benefit from the wide temperature swings we see in October, so theyāre bundled up cozily in their storage unit.
Our timing was perfectāon Sunday we took down the tent and on Monday four cords of firewood were dropped in the adjacent lawn. Somehow, I need to make the time to stack it.
This autumn would have been even more chaotic had surgery not forced me to slow down earlier this month. My favorite meme recently is āAdulthood is saying āBut after this week things will slow down,ā over and over until you die.ā At times, it sure feels that way.