Staying In Touch

Are you surprised to find an entry on my blog. You should be because I am surprised that I am even alive. I will not dwell on it, but the past few months have been difficult for me but things seem to be getting better and I am no longer thinking of shortening my life.

So, while I don’t know how often I will be posting to this blog, I hope that I can stay in touch with all of you. Let’s begin by talking about what has happened since I last told you that I was ending my teaching career and closing the studio. I have remodeled the studio space and it is less than half the old space. I do have an area where I can store supplies and my easel is up. I have recently painted a couple of quick landscapes which, if I can remember how, I will attach to this posting. While the space to paint is much smaller, the garage portion has grown and I can now set up my saws and leave them for a day or two if I want to. All this without having to leave my car out in the weather. I still have some organizing to do in that area, but it is nice to have that new area.

I want to thank my son, Steve, for being such a rock and lending me support and encouragement. He, along with my adopted Twin Falls family and some extremely caring neighbors have given me a more positive view of my future.

The biggest change, I think, is the addition of “Sarge”. He is a rescue pet and I have had him for less than two months. I cannot fathom how anyone could abandon a dog that is so affectionate and so intelligent. We bonded immediately and have been working together on some commands and some behavior issues. He has some real abandonment fears and does not like being away from me at all. He is also very protective which is probably why he barks and appears to be aggressive when someone comes to the front door. And when I am talking to other people he will stand between us, leaning against my legs. I guess you get the message. Anyway, here are some pictures of my new companion:

If you want to see a bunch more pictures and videos, check out my face book page.

I mentioned that I have started painting again. These are the two that I have done in the 6 months. I still have so much pain in my right leg (foot, knee and hip) that it is hard for me to stand. That is what forced me to discontinue classes. I hope to find a solution to that and if I do, think I can figure a way to fit one student in the new space. Here are the two new paintings:

Both are on 12 x 16 canvas.

Before I close this posting, I want to remind all of my students who I hope are still painting at home… I want to see you work. I will be happy to give you honest critique and tell (and show) you what you can do to make improvements. I can demonstrate with a dry brush how to get the effects you are seeking. Just give me a call and we will work out how. Obviously we will observe the corona virus protocol and keep a safe distance apart.

I hope you are all well and that this terrible world wide pandemic ends soon. My prayers are with you all.

Pat Alsup