23 Mar Inside

Every canvas is a journey all its own.

— Helen Frankenthaler

Wanderlust is gripping my friends and family, as July 4th approaches.

They’re planning tourist itineraries, reserving summer rentals, buying RVs, and booking flights.

While they’ve been locked down for 12 months, I’ve completed more than 100 journeys, thanks to my easel, brushes, paints, and canvases.

Even when those trips proved ultimately unproductive, the travel was exhilarating, and pushed away others’ torments.

I’m not alone in expressing this: thousands of artists have said they’ve found solace in their studios during the pandemic.

I’m reminded of an old Jethro Tull favorite, “Inside:”

I’m sitting on the corner feeling glad.
Got no money coming in but I can’t be sad.
That was the best cup of coffee I ever had.
And I won’t worry about a thing
Because we’ve got it made,
Here on the inside, outside’s so far away.

Above: A Pair of Boots. Oil on canvas. 16 x 12 inches. Ships framed and ready to hang.