The Last Week at Mendocino Art Center

I am into the last few days of my stay here at Mendocino Art Center, and I am not ready to leave! 

I am already thinking about coming back next year, but for a longer time! 

I have had such a great time, and really do feel that my paintings have progressed - it does pay off to spend most of every day painting, and being surrounded by creative souls! 

I have gained so much - a wonderful memory to take with me - great new friends, a kindred soul in Carol - (we call ourselves "one of those" meaning having packed up our stuff, put it in storage, and taking off without a specific plan!  Actually I just found out that a fellow painter from Santa Cruz who is up here is also "one of those"!   It's an epidemic!) 

Yesterday Carol did a "reading" for me - my first ever! It was interesting, and a good omen for the future year - I am on a quest!  I will try to enjoy the journey and not worry too much about the goal.  We traded so on Thursday I will give her a makeup lesson before we go out for a last "cabin fever" concert and dinner at the Mendocino Hotel.  Friday I have invited everyone to my studio for a "See-You-Later Reception" - I refuse to say goodbye!
Over the weekend I got an email from a woman from Liquid Fusion Kayak - she had seen my kayak on my car, and wrote down my website (it's on the rear window of my car).   She had seen my blog about "her" Harlequin duck on the Noyo River.  We are going kayaking tomorrow on Big River with my friend Jan, who is driving up today! It should be a nice day, and I am hoping to get another look at the River Otters - this time armed with my good camera!
Carol and I went for a long walk yesterday afternoon at Van Damme SP - deep into Fern Canyon - it was so nice to get some exercise and be in the deep woods.  It gave me new inspiration for a painting!  

Exercise is one of the things I have been neglecting while here, I get too engrossed in my painting, and if I don't get out before I start painting, I usually cannot tear myself away!
Today I will continue working on my Headlands painting, it progressed pretty well last night, and in between I finished some small 4"x6" paintings - to get a break from the big 40"x 51" - I enjoy both!