Happy 1st Anniversary
Let's keep the writing going.
Can you believe May 13 will be my one year Substack anniversary? Many of you have been here with me since that very first post and I am thrilled that you are still here reading and sharing. Actually, some of you have been by my side supporting me since I picked up that paintbrush thirty years ago! Time is a crazy thing. The good news is that after all these years, I am still getting new followers too. To all the newcomers I say a huge welcome to you. Regardless of how long you’ve been with me, I am pleased to be able to do this writing and to share my stories. It is opening many creative doors and how exciting is that?
One year. A lot has changed in that year. In many ways I feel like a totally different person. I was just reading back to my initial posts. I have certainly fallen in love with words and I hope you have too. My confidence as a writer has grown significantly. I want to thank you all for that. It’s been rather terrifying to put my personal life out there into the ethers, especially when my perspectives on life isn’t always the norm. My life can be a bit of a roller coaster and I wasn’t sure if any of you would be interested in the ride. My letters are not always full of cheer. They are real life. Things were heavy last month but today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining, I am writing and the trees are sprouting the first signs of green.
The writing is about to get more intense as I have enrolled in a writing course. The goal here is to birth the manuscript of my memoir in the next 9 months. Doesn’t that sound like fun? I bought this antique typewriter for inspiration. I like the energy of it. I stare at it and wonder who owned it before me, who plunked on those keys that make such a dramatic sound? What was written? I imagine the greats like Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Woolf writing on a typewriter just like it! Do you see the crazy place my imagination takes me? I also love how the typewriter looks in front of my large painted canvas of Bootleg Mounatain. My life has become a combination of colors and words. How lucky am I?
So as I look back over the letters from the last year, the ups and the downs, I feel somewhat disquieted that the coming year will be more of the same. Too bad we cannot always be on the upside. The world is in upheaval and I am hoping that we can all find calm and peace in magical little places like my blooming Hoya. I have to share this news with you. This plant has moved with me more times than I can count. It has been in my bedroom since I was a little girl. In my lifetime, this is only the third time it has ever bloomed. My friend Michelle says it should bloom regularly but I don’t know if I believe her. If this isn’t a reason for hope I don’t know what is. The perfume from this bloom in the evening is intoxicating. My wish for each of you reading this is to have a beautiful unexpected gift come into your life.
In art news, I am hosting a free webinar called “Ask an Artist” on May 6 at 6pm MST on Zoom. Everyone is invited, artists at all stages and even if you are not an artist, you are welcome to join this informative discussion on art and painting. I will chat about what is art, about art history, about contemporary artists and a whole lot of other things. I will be answering questions. So please register on my website by clicking here. If you cannot attend the webinar in person, please sign up and I will send out a recording of the session after. I just want to see your smiling faces and have a chat so I hope you will join me. It is FREE.
That is all I have for today. Thank you for reading and helping me to celebrate one year on Substack. I hope to see you next Tuesday at the webinar. Until then, enjoy the sun.
Ciao,
Caprice
A few more thoughts:
Another little gift that has come my way is a book called “Still Life” by Sarah Winman. The novel is set in Florence and these words take me right back to that amazing city. It is all so familiar to me and I can visualize every scene and every work of art that she describes. It still feels like a dream that I was actually there last fall.
*My movie reccomendation for the month is “Maudie”. It is about the Canadian painter Maudie and the scenery is amazing. Such a good movie. I think right now it’s good to remember some of our Canadian treasures.
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