In a few weeks I’ll be heading to the Grand Canyon to camp with friends at the glorious Havasu Falls. I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend time in this beautiful place and meet the people who have been living in the canyon for over a thousand years. The village is tucked way down in the canyon, without a proper road, so getting to the campground will take a 10 mile hike with an elevation change of over 2,000 feet. Nothing but water is provided, so we’ll be hiking in and out with all of our gear.
In preparation, I’ve been spending my evenings training and am starting to go on hikes while wearing my pack, so I can get used to carrying the extra weight. Twenty pounds gets really heavy when you’re walking uphill!
During the day, I’ve been working as much as possible. I completed a painting of a roadrunner and a landscape for my upcoming Iconic Texas exhibition and finished a commissioned painting of a surfing T-Rex (so fun!). I’ve been applying to shows, grants, and residencies; designing stickers and organizing my files. I have artwork up at two local galleries: Art For The People and the Terra Toys Art Gallery. It’s good to be busy!
All this preparation could have me in a hectic state of mind, but I’ve made space for downtime. I’ve returned to taking a full day off each week and mark it with rituals I’ve borrowed from Shabbat, Judaism’s day of rest. I’m not religious, but I’ve come to see ritual as a potentially fun and powerful tool. You can make up your own to serve as a way to organize your time or thoughts, set aside time for contemplation, or to give a mundane activity some excitement and meaning.
If you’re interested, I really enjoyed this video from The School Of Life on the history and meaning of rituals.
IF YOU’RE IN AUSTIN:
Paintings, prints, and stickers will be on display at Art For The People through October 5th.
(1711 S. 1st, Austin, TX 78704)
Paintings and screen prints available at the Terra Toys Art Gallery through Halloween.
(2438 W Anderson Ln C1, Austin, TX 78757)
The roadrunner painting will be on display during Austin Museum Day as part of the 2020 Season Gallery Sneak Peek at the Julia C. Butridge Gallery.
(12-4pm, September 22, 1110 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704)
Thank you for your support!