Still Out of Balance

The Fall of Stars
20 x 30 Mixed Media on Gallery Canvas
$1350

Been trying to get my studio, my yard, and my life back to normal, whatever that is. I seem to bounce from project to project. I complete them but without a sense of satisfaction.

In the last month I finally got the above painting finished. The canvas had been on my easel for almost a year. But with the but with the studio tour looming the end of September it had to be done. Flower beds and yard rescues seem to draw me away from what needs to be done inside. Maybe it is because of Ernestina Pacheco. Any excuse to go to her nursery and cheer myself up. She and her family are from Chacon, near the heart of the fire.

They have survived though at the moment their well is contaminated. It does however have water. Their house is okay but they are living out of trailers on the nursery property. She makes me smile. I have visited her too often and bought entirely too many plants. I waste too much time watering them, but their flowers make me smile. The monsoons have at done most of the watering recently which is good. But the grass grows and all the wildflowers have come back at once and I cannot make myself cut them down even if they are in my path.

I just walk a different way.

I finally got around to figuring out what tree to plant in memory of my sister. It is a group of three aspens. One day it will be a grove I hope. Just one stately blue spruce didn't seem to be who Debbie was. I look out at the quaking leaves at the end of the row of Nine Bark bushes and I think of her.

Yesterday, a friend from last year visited and asked after her, and the fire and what it was like being evacuated. I was standing in the studio by the cache of go-bags stashed there after returning from evacuation. And it hit me that in part I am still on Set. 

She died the same day as the snow squall.

Obviously I need another visit to Pacheco's Nursery.