Vacation Wrap Up

Sorry for my tardiness in writing about my trip to Arizona. I guess writing while I listen to election coverage is as good a time as ever.

It was a wonderful trip...good to get away. And Sedona is inspirational on many levels. First off, geographically it is a fascinating area. The red rock canyons are spectacular...and unlike any other part of the country I've seen. Sedona is the center of red rock canyon land. The colors of the rock are something to behold, coupled with the bluest of skies...amazing. I couldn't take enough pictures of the red rock...and I don't think my pictures really do them justice. Still, I'll post some pics soon.

And then, Sedona is a very "artsy" community. The town is filled to the brim with various art galleries/shops. It also boasts a very nice Community Art Center. We tried to take in as much as we could, but battled sensory overload much of the week.

The weather...outstanding. It was a little warmer than average when we were there...and I was thrilled. Highs in the mid-80's, no humidity (making for good-hair days!), no clouds, crisp air. We managed to set aside a little time to sit by the pool!

There were lots of bead shops in/around Sedona...and my favorite was actually going out of business, so I scooped up lots of good deals. I did manage to make a few necklaces while in Arizona (and they're up on Etsy already!).

One of the side trips we took during the week was to an abandoned copper mining town named Jerome. The town is now "inhabited" by various artists...basically they have taken over all the little shops...there are still a few saloons set up as such. It was a lovely town to wander through and see alot of original artwork...often with the artists present. We actually stopped to watch a glass blower do his thing. I actually enjoyed viewing art in this venue much more than in the overpriced galleries of Sedona.

It was hard to return home...in the sense that it's hard to return to the reality of "real life", which includes juggling work, the chores of keeping a home running, family obligations...There simply doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to get it all done...and have the time to spend in the studio as I would like.

But I will continue to juggle. I am anxious to get some studio time in and do some painting. I've had my post-crawl break and need to get back to work. I'm ready to start putting the images swimming in my head on canvas.

And exciting news: while I was sitting on the plane waiting to take off for Arizona, I received a phone message from a woman who had visited my studio with her daughter during the crawl. She wants to buy one of my paintings for her daughter! I talked to her tonight to wrap up details.

I am psyched!