Summer Breezes, Tasty Wine and a Studio Visit Sparks the Need for Re-Evaluation



Snapshot from my kitchen counter
this morning.

I awoke this morning, rolled over and gave my little doggies scrubs and the little voice inside me said, "Make sure you read your first blog post over coffee today."  Ahh....  It's summertime in my household.  No more school.  No more carting kids around to activities. No more prodding to get homework done.  Sliding out of bed, taking my darn high blood pressure and thyroid meds and brushing my teeth, I slowly make my way to the kitchen for coffee. 

I just finished reading my first ever blog post,  "What Am I Getting Myself Into," as I hear Cold Play behind the closed doors of my waking teenager's room.  My birds are flitting around behind me in their aviary, cracking on seed and taking turns at baths. I'm in a different mindset today.  I am taking pause to re-evaluate where I have come with my blog and re-determining where I would like this to go.  Is it bittersweet ting of Summertime talking to me? I don't know.  Maybe.  I just need to explore this.....Make sure I stay on track with my original goals.

(If you are someone who started following me after I first started blogging, which by all accounts, you probably are, I encourage you to read that blog post.  That is only if you are really interested in understanding why I am here on your computer screen.  It is certainly not a requirement.  Just a suggestion.) 

I think that my visit to my good friend Riitta Klint's studio last evening definitely has something to do with it.  Such an enriching experience....such a gentle reminder of the importance of staying on the right path for myself and my career.  After getting turned all back around on my venture down into Miami, I drove into the gallery compound and this is what I found.

Riitta Susanna Klint's Studio Entrance

Her and her adoring hubby, Allen, have been working super hard to redo the front entrance of her studio space and I gotta say, "Wow."  It is so charming and sophisticated all in one glance.  If you think this is eye candy, wait until I show you the rest!

 Above is the left wall inside her working studio.  She is currently preparing for a show that opens in October 2011.  Her goal is to have at least 25 paintings complete!!  Oh my!  That is a lot of work!  I love Riitta. She is an amazing person.  I have many artist friends, but none of their work rocks my world more than Riitta's work.  The layering, the colors, the emotions, the little details and the raised surfaces that can only be enjoyed in person are riveting.



She handed me a glass of citrusy (my word) white wine.  I take a sip and a slight icey crunch greets me as well.  Could I feel more at home than I do at this moment?!   Her studio is filled with the smells of creativity.  It's orderly, but also messy....in a messy wonderful way.  Nothing uptight here.  Just relaxing and welcoming.

The visit sparks in me a need to put some thought to where I have gone just in the last few months.....and where I am going.  I have definitely landed on something interesting in the blogging world.  It has given me the catalyst that I was looking for.  Perhaps though, I realize today that there is a tiny part of me that could get lost and I need to re-define my parameters.  I need to remember to stay true to the artist and designer whom I am.  Those who appreciate and follow, great.  Those who do not.....that's okay too......   

Riitta in front of her 9 foot work in progress

Is it the summer breezes that drifted past me last night as we dined alfresco somewhere lost in Miami?  Was it the crispy, citrus filled Sauvignon Blanc?  Was it the jolt from Deneen this week?  Probably all of the above.  Most importantly, it was just the breath of fresh air I was looking for to remind me who I am and where I need to go from here.  I need to get back to my canvases. I need to make sure my decisions on projects are based on my sensibilities.   I need to re-define my plans to find studio space.  I need to.....just keep on keeping on.....  Happy Summer everyone!  Cheers!

-The End-