the art year

It turned cold here overnight. We’ve been having a pretty mild winter, but last night that changed. I went outside to give the chickens food and water and was attacked by the frosty air every step of the way. It just hurts more and more each step. Like little picks going into your exposed skin. I probably should have worn gloves, but I didn’t expect it to be THAT cold. When its really cold and the snow is powdery it makes a really specific sound when you walk on it. It kind of has this squeaky sound rather than a crunch. I’m not sure why that is, but when it’s squeaky you know its cold out, and when it turns cold like that it’s time for a trip.

I leave for Nashville tomorrow. I’m heading there to teach a painting workshop, and then from there I’m going to Atlanta. I’m flying in to Nashville from Presque Isle, ME. No, there are no direct flights from PI (our nickname for Presque Isle) to anywhere except Boston. Adam (the guy most of you talk to through email about business related stuff) and I leave at 8AM. We have stops in Boston, NYC, somewhere else I can’t remember and then Nashville. I hate flying. It kind of freaks me out, and it takes forever. But I hate driving 22 hours even more.

Last year Adam and I drove to Virginia the first day (17 hours) and then to Nashville from there (5 more hours). We then drove all over the planet doing workshops for over two weeks and then drove some more to get home. I can not do that again. The workshops were great! The driving/riding was not. When hotels start to feel like home, you have a problem.

The same type of weather blew in around the same time last year. I remember the thermometer in my car read -22 degrees F the day we left for Nashville. This morning it read -17F. I remember showing up to the hotel in Nashville and noticing a great big fountain out front. It was frozen solid. “I came here in the winter to get away from that cold crap.” I wasn’t lucky to get the warm weather that happened the week before in TN. We got the unseasonably cold stuff. I guess the cold just follows us Mainers around. It’s like the annoying little three year old who won’t stop asking you a million questions as you walk from room to room.

Getting ready for a workshop stresses me out because I am not an organized person. I’m an artist, the epitome of an unorganized, chaotic personality. I made a checklist of things that I need to remember. I’m checking them off as I go. I have about 10 items on the list and as of 3:45PM I have 3 of them checked off. Not to worry though, the rest of the list is a piece of cake. I tackled the most difficult items first: packing bag, putting laptop in case, finding the phone charger. I leave the easy one’s for the last minute: packing art supply bag, finishing accounting before I leave, making sure logistics are squared away.

Okay, I’m only kidding, I really have most of the items done, but it always feels like a mad rush to get everything together. And like most people, I always think I’m going to forget something. I’m really looking forward to doing the workshops. I’m going to try and complete three small paintings in two days. Usually we just do one medium sized one. I figure the more stuff I can get in the workshop the better. I want people to really fell like they picked up something new. Plus, I’m taking a year off from workshops after this winter. I just moved into a new house and really need a year to focus on my artwork before I head out again. So it’ll be a bit sad knowing that these next couple months are my last trips for awhile.

Well look at the time. I should really go finish packing. It’s supposed to be in the 50s in Nashville and maybe even 60 in Atlanta. I made sure to bring lots of shorts.

I’ll post some updates on the trip. Get out the heaters Nashville, I’m heading your way.