It Takes a Village

I know, I know – could it be more trite? And yet… There’s so much research demonstrating the importance of community, friendships, and loose social networks to health and happiness. Anybody who claims to have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps is forgetting all the kind words, second chances, mentoring and plain old good luck […]

A Wild Mind

Dorothy Parker, that famous doyenne of the literary Round Table and master of the pithy putdown, had a very challenging life. And personality. Reading a bio took some of the shine off her image, but she also had a brilliant way with words even when not being funny. This particular quote resonated strongly for me: […]

Juicy and Exuberant

A friend described my paintings as juicy and exuberant, which I loved! The comment was about my use of color, cheerful and energetic almost to the point of being Fauvist in style. I like to describe my paintings as expressionistic because I want to show how it felt to be there, rather than simply copying […]

Not a Nub

A very amusing column about jargon appeared in the Economist recently and introduced me to the concept of a “nub.” This acronym for non-useful body is apparently employed by submariners to describe a ride-along person who takes up space, air and food while performing no useful function. In other words, not a member of the […]

How To Relax

Many people think of relaxation as involving lots of catch-up sleep on the weekend. Others relax by sitting in front of the tv, or playing games on their computers or phones. A recent article in Psychology Today sheds light on what really works. The research cited said what really helps people recover from work (or […]

Not Drinking Enough?

A recent article in Wine Spectator would have me surmise that my bout with COVID could be related to an inadequate consumption of red wine. LOL It appears wine drinkers in general, and red wine drinkers in particular (my favored winter drink) are less susceptible to COVID risks than drinkers of hard liquor or beer. […]

Inspired Again!

We finally took a vacation again, after nearly 2 1/2 years! As regular readers know, my painting inspiration usually comes from sunsets, water and travel. The latter has been in very short supply lately. As readers also know, we had bouts of COVID last month, fortunately mild since we are triple vaxxed. This means that, […]

Serendipity Strikes

Several weeks ago, I received an email from an acquaintance. We had worked together a few years back. I was a consultant for the CT State Office of the Arts when she headed a local arts agency and requested my help on a project. Turns out she now works for the University of Connecticut in […]

Gorgeous Groton

My exhibit at the local library includes limited edition prints and a group of my travel photos, works I hadn’t exhibited in quite a while. I enjoyed seeing Mexico, Bali and Miami’s Art Deco district again – vicarious traveling during a pandemic. The show was well-received and I was asked to extend it, which I […]

Miss Traveling?

Until we can travel widely and safely again, many of us have had to be satisfied with memories of Europe, Asia and Latin America. My current exhibit, at The Space Gallery in charming Chester, CT, recognizes this and is, for now, a great substitute for the real thing. It runs through the end of the […]