The crabapple tree in my parents yard. The sky was sooo blue!

I just got back from Spring Break. It was wonderful. I drove through Arkansas and Tennessee soaking in the 85 degree weather, enjoying the green, green landscape, and visiting a bunch of good folks all along the way. I made some choices: no art, just work on writing and e-mailing and getting business taken care of, read books, and sit outside. And drinking very good coffee.

Sometimes, you have to just give yourself some space. I have had one heck of a hectic semester, so I decided to get away from the city. My favorite place to go to relax is my parents’ house in Arkansas. Spring was in full swing there already, and it was so warm everyday. I used my mornings to work on the above mentioned stuff and then spent every afternoon sitting in their backyard with their cat Nino, reading until the sun went down.

Nino Quincampoix: the best cat ever.

A big part of my art making process, I’ve recently realized, is having time to reflect and think. I know some people who are constantly working, churning out pieces left and right. But I need gaps of time in between my highly productive moments. I need time to reflect and plan and absorb. So, this past week was perfect. I had a ton of hours in the car driving from location to location, to stare into the distance and contemplate what I’m doing next.

Oh, I forgot to mention– the week before spring break was critique week! So, after my official yearly critique, I had a lot of things to think about as I sped down the highway.

It was a lovely break! Just one more month til summer!