Thought-Full Art Studio

A conversation...

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Recovering the Website

The website is safely restored, locked down, and back in business. Even though we were able to identify the specific issue on the backend, we decided to roll back to a prior date out of an abundance of caution. We sacrificed a few recent posts, but nothing major. A good reminder to make lots of redundant backups! We have chosen to streamline the website a bit more, as well. We have removed all ads from the site so that the focus is solely on you and allowing you to more easily navigate and get to what you actually want to see.

Since I am no longer attending shows, I have a number of originals that I am so grateful are being shown at Zeke’s Gallery in Edom, Texas. I also have a few that I retain here at home. I will also be updating my shop to show more of my prints – and also to note those prints for which I still have the original available. If you remember an original from a prior show that you attended and are interested in knowing if it is available for purchase, use the Contact Us page to let me know. I respond quickly!

I hope that these late Spring storms have missed your location. It has been a wild start to the year! So far, knock on wood, no hailstorms or ferocious storms have hit our locale. Grateful!

The spring art show season is in full swing. I know this economy is a challenge for most of us. But I hope that you and your friends/family will take the time to get out and enjoy and support artists as you can. It means a lot – especially for those who are traveling long distances to make a living.

Have a great day ahead and thank you for dropping by!

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Troubling Times

If you are an artist – in any medium – who is facing spring shows, you have our prayers. When wars and rumors of wars abound, some shows are insanely busy. People need a respite from the crushing news and fiscal realities impacting their lives. For other shows, these types of world situations can cause everyone to just want to hide at home surrounded by those they love.

We, as artists, have never been able to control these events or how people will react. From long experience, I can only say that the very best artists can do is show up, set up, pray, and forge ahead.

I have been spending these warmer spring days reorganizing my studio space. My wife continues to work on getting more of my work up on my website while working hard to get her YouTube channel growing.

I spend a lot of time working on my garden. It feels like it is going to be even more useful this year as fuel and food become more costly. And we have neighbors who are always glad to grab the excess we put out on a table near the walkway that goes to the park behind our home.

If you have time, would love to have you take a look at my shop. I have some t-shirts still available which are great for spring and a range of prints. If you have any questions, please visit the contact page.

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Goodby 2024 – Not Sorry to See You Go!

This has been a tough year and, as we go into the holidays, I can’t say that I will be sad to see 2024 in the rear view mirror. There have been some really awful personal tragedies in our family this year. I know many of you will understand when I say that watching those you love deeply have to travel across the sands of sorrow is a confusing, saddening, frustrating experience. You wish you could snatch them up in your arms and just get them someplace away from their pain – but you can only stand by, walk alongside, and support how you can; hugging and praying for them when action is impossible. For those of you who have gone through similar circumstances this year, our heart and prayers go out to you.

This year I only participated in one show and that will likely be the pattern going forward. At nearing 80, I am thankful for time to spend just reading, gardening, and contemplating the sweet truths that God has persisted in trying to teach me over the decades. His patience and love are amazing and unfathomable in their grace and mercy!

I’m not drawing much at all these days – but I continue to sell my prints and originals from my home and online and am thankful for those who continue to support me. My wife is doing a YouTube channel these days (just getting started) and that has been fun to see her enjoying that new activity. She is also planning to take some of my seldom seen works and fashioning them into cards to sell here.

This year has been very sad for us on the political/cultural front. I won’t spend time here on my thoughts except to say there are going to be a lot of opportunities to help our neighbors and to be a light in darkness. We pray for God’s mercy as we end this year and look forward to the next.

God bless.