I don't have it in me to move this ball, Rhonda's favorite toy.

I thought about what I would do with this little red ball long before her passing. I wanted to send it off with her, but that did not work out. Now it sits here, waiting for a new owner or in my more pitiful fantasies, to be used when we are reunited. Until then, it'll remain here.

The summer has finally turned hot, just in time for me to venture down to Georgia for my annual FolkFest show. Last year, the show did not go so well for me financially, but I bought a great mask: from someplace in the South Pacific-dunno where (and dunno how authentic it is, but it sure feels right). If I don't do well this year (and, given the economy, that is a distinct possibility), I won't return for a year or so. Sad, since this is my favorite show, always filled with interesting work: lots of inspirational imagery and off-beat ideas...

One week later

I lived, she didn't.

Ain't that the story of our lives? My day to day seems so much more plain without Rhonda-she really added to it in so many ways-ways that you don't commit to paper or need to photograph. Breathing. Walking. She was always there to shepherd me (sorry, folks) and saw all the mistakes I made in the studio and heard all my comments to myself or how pissed off something made me or how pleased I was with the outcome of an artwork.

Just a dog, you say?

Maybe so, but here's the huge hole she left.

Geting ready for yet another show-this one happens to be my favorite: Folk Fest. I always come back from this show fully charged-the energy I find there is palpable. I'm somewhat apprehensive about the show this year as I can't justify doing it again if I don't make enough money there-the fee for the show has become enormous and the amount I sell there has declined. Dunno what my determining threshold should be, but the fact that there is one bothers me. I will truly miss this show if I have to cancel next year.

Haven't worked on a painting in a while-my supplies sit out here and gather dust. I get SO intimidated at starting a 2D piece-worked up a little drawing two days ago and it's really awful-wasted some perfectly good paper on it.

This one is called Lost My Way-how appropriate.