Putting away Christmas treasures.

January 13
The morning dawned clear and cold, blue shadows dividing the ground into shapes that define the contour of the earth covered with snow. The year started off with a bang as we watch and listen to the events happening in France. As horrendous as this act was it has brought forth compassion in people all over the world that actions against peaceful people who express themselves with words or pictures, will not be tolerated. Expression of freedom, of love is what the world wants.

Christmas is over and I have put away the decorations and symbols for another year. Even though I keep everything up longer then most people it is a sad time when I take it down. What gives me the most pleasure is seeing and reacting to my surroundings. Christmas can always be experienced as a child sees it, full of wonder and magic. I love each decoration on the tree, the beautiful cards and wrapping paper on the boxes, the living tree and the smell of balsam. I love the lights inside and out that glow in the darkness. Santa is a symbol of all the good qualities of a human, Christ is the symbol of the light in all of us.

As I get older, I am weaker, have less energy, mind the cold more. It takes more time to do everything. The physical body is aging. I have to be carful not to slip on the rocks in summer or ice in the winter, things I never ever thought about when I was young. Thank goodness painting is not a physically stressful occupation. The problem is I don't get up often enough and move around.

Perhaps the biggest problem now is what to do with all the paintings, stacked everywhere, hundreds of them. I love and live to paint, everything excites me so I keep making paintings but I don't sell many so they have accumulated, in closets, against walls, under beds, everywhere. You say,  put them in galleries. Because I have negative approach of rejection from galleries and have alway disliked their taking so much commission up to 50 precent, I project subconsously this to them from me so of course they don't want my paintings. This is a strange dilemma, because I like my own work, as all artist like their work, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it. Perhaps this is not what I should be talking about, because I have survived all these years, I have done and do what I love to do. I am living a great life, living in a beautiful place, and have loving family and friends. But all these paintings, what to do with them, any suggestions.

I wrap empty boxes in nice paper and put them under the tree then store them for next year. 

Doug's sculpture with santa

I made this elf doll about 50 years ago

After playing with the lights I am tired

corners 1 16 x 20

corners 2  16 x 20

Can you guess what the corners are?