The Gentleman Farmer from Newark: Part 2
This is Part 2 of a story that began here back in August- you might want to reread Part 1 now, then carry on…. ~~~~~~ After scattering the bird feed, it was time to refresh their water. The challenge was to face away from the birds when in or near their pen, reaching behind myself slowly for the filthy water feeder, then stealthily carrying it out of the pen without triggering any Pheasant Panic Broken Necks. Once outside the pen, I re-latched the door and slowly began retracing my steps to the pasture fence gate. Freedom! Now that the…
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The Secret is to Make Practice Effortless
To increase your skill level with any job or hobby, you need two things: LOTS of book-learning hours LOTS of real-world practice Surgeon or master carpenter or architect or watercolorist. They all require lots of study and practice. The challenge is to make both book learning and technical practice as interesting, even pleasurable as possible. I created a great way to make study and practice happen at the same time, by making a designated textbook companion sketchbook, what I call a “Book Book.” I dedicate one sketchbook to the sole purpose of taking notes and doing the exercises from…
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An Inch Made All the Difference
So much can happen during an unplanned 10-week break from blogging. My last post was on August 17th, and a week later I got word that I had reached the top of a housing waiting list, so it was time to get packing! And discarding. And donating. And “decision-ing” during every waking hour for weeks on end. By the end of September, I was at the very end of my frayed tether, mentally and physically exhausted, stunned that I had met the moving-out deadline, and yet every bone and muscle in my body was still blaspheming at full volume.…
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The Gentleman Farmer from Newark: Part 1
My parents were city kids, but when Dad turned fifty, he decided it was high time to become a gentleman farmer. He’d never had a speck of dirt under his fingernails, but no worries; he had two young kids who, with a little training, could pass for farmhands on our five-acre fiefdom sixty miles north of New York City. That spring, Fred launched the Gentleman Farmer Experiment by leasing out the small fenced-off pasture to a local farmer who had a heifer that needed grazing space. David and I would often race home after school, throw our books in…
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Sumac, Horses, and Crickets
1964: The summer breeze is a blend of fresh hay, saddle soap, and the sweet smell of horse sweat. At Chestnut Bay Stables, learning to be safe and responsible in the barns and on the trails long precedes any time in the show ring. Every student learns the proper way to groom a horse and care for the tack – the halters, bridles, and saddles – long before their first wobbly thrill of sitting on a horse. Mrs. Adams, stable owner, instructor, and disciplinarian, strides into the lower barn, hat pulled low over her ever-present scowl. She is stern…
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Storytelling for the Soul
Lately I’ve been wanting to create a collection of vignette stories around curious childhood memories. I hesitate, though, because they have no point. Perhaps that’s why I like them so much. Most of life has no point, right? It just rolls along, with lots of details and tumbling responses to immediate needs. And in the end, more often than not, the point is simply, “Yup, there goes another day.” But in writing, whether it be fiction, non-fiction, or something in-between, folks presume you have a point. Otherwise, why clutter up the already noisy stratosphere with more dross? Here’s why.…
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Telling Tales in a New Way
I’ve spent hours this week listening to The Art of Brevity, a brilliant celebration of “less is more.” “Flash fiction is a brook flowing through the woods. It is easy to step over, and it’s not big enough to be on any map, but then when you pause to observe it, you see life teeming within it.” The Art of Brevity, pg. 26 This month I begin the excavation and distillation of six decades of stories housed in one heavy file box and five burgundy looseleaf notebooks. The stories began when a 14-year-old girl’s father died and then, five…
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A Good Book Is Like a Mirror
Much to my surprise, I am experiencing “an embarrassment of riches” with this recent deep dive into reading. The latest FICTION audio/eBook I am enjoying is The Dictionary of Lost Words. ~~~~~ On my eleventh birthday, my dad gave me a special gift: a heavy book-shaped present neatly wrapped and ribboned. I remember my eager anticipation, longing to rip the paper off yet holding back to make the suspense last as long as possible. I imagined a beautifully illustrated book with gilded edges, perhaps a collection of short stories that celebrated the adventures of young girls. Maybe it was a…
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Give Yourself Permission to have Gentle Habits
Here’s a mostly true story: Aaron (or “Double-A-Ron” as his friends called him) was a gentle soul lovingly referred to as the town drunk. His regular haunt was the Village Tap Tavern. Every day he would wander in about 4pm, sidle up to the last seat at the end of the bar, and enjoy his beer until closing time. One day, Doug, a frequent visitor to the pub, came in after work and noticed Aaron was missing. “Where’s Aaron?” he asked the bartender. “No one knows,” the bartender responded. “Rumor has it he decided to get sober.” Weeks passed…
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“May I?” is a Great Question
The theme for May 2025 is giving ourselves permission to explore new hobbies, or “May I?” Do you give yourself permission to try whatever activity interests you? Many of us hesitate, saying it costs too much, or it’s too hard, or we don’t have enough time. Maybe over the years we’ve even forgotten how to dream about the possibilities. Pick a skill you really envy: “I wish I could play the guitar.” “It would be so cool to be able to draw well.” “I wish I could rollerblade.” Envy is the GPS of your heart; it shows you which…
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Planting future seeds of creative momentum
“Not every day is meant for painting.”What?? Blasphemy! The garden metaphor is helpful. If we were watering, fertilizing, weeding, and bothering our plants every day, they would ask us to leave. They might stop thriving, or wilt, or even die from our excessive care. That is why we need to stop constantly striving for excellence in everything, including painting. We also need time set aside for “moodling,” that idle time when we allow thoughts and life to flow, without any purpose. I thought I was good at moodling, but wow, my best friend and I can take moodling to…
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What could you learn in just two hours a week?
Three questions for this next week of April 2025 Spring Fever: 1- Would you like to have room for even more learning? 2- If so, what subject would you explore? 3- Would two hours a week, for only a month, interest you at all? My answers: I love watercolor, I love writing, and I want to get better at both. Watercolor Lessons Since I raved about Andrew Broussard’s painting last week, I decided to give it a go myself. I began by working from memory, then decided to rewatch his tutorial lesson for this very painting, pausing often, crafting…
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Mentors are the Key to Momentum
“Next, how do you refill your energetic / creative fuel tank? How often are you doing it, and might more time be helpful?” -question from last week’s essay April’s theme is all about harnessing restlessness, claiming your focus, and developing the momentum to propel you forward. My creative goal, now that some of my eyesight has returned, is to spend every spare moment focused on Beauty. My favorite beauty is a well-executed watercolor. Not oil, not pastel, just watercolor. I appreciate other art forms, of course. One of the painting styles I admire most is the Hudson River School.…
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What if you could turn restlessness into productive joy?
The essay theme for April is Transforming Spring Fever into Joyful Focus. Week One, what habits might give you the most immediate and reliable satisfaction? Next, how do you refill your energetic/ creative fuel tank? How often are you doing it, and might more time be helpful? Week Three, would you like to have room for even more learning? If so, what subject would you explore? Would two hours a week, for only a month, interest you at all? Finally, looking ahead, would you like to plant some creative momentum seeds for the months to come? ~~~~~~~~ What stands…
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The Power and Purpose of Silence
Silence can be the ultimate act of decluttering. Silence is scarce. We attain momentary darkness every time we blink our eyes or close them for several minutes / hours when we sleep each night. Our eyes let us rest. But silence? That can be much trickier to attain. There are two kinds of silence: one is quiet surroundings and the other, much harder to attain, is a quiet mind. I have the luxury of living in a fairly noise-free neighborhood. I am learning (slowly) to also rest my mind. My goal this month was to offer you a way…
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The Power and Purpose of Listening
Our ability to hear and our ability to listen are very different skills. They are as complex as the abilities to look and to see. Oxford language definitions: Hear – Verb: perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something) “behind her she could hear men’s voices” Similar: perceive, catch, apprehend, discern Listen – Verb: give one’s attention to a sound “evidently he was not listening” Similar: pay attention, attend, concentrate on We all know the difference, of course. Here are a few questions to ponder: Listening to humans How many minutes a week do you think…
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Curiosity + Looking = Unexpected Aha Moments
Here’s your mid-week dessert, a bit of combined brain and eye candy. Watch and listen to my mentor Oliver Pyle (whom I mentioned in my previous post) as he guides you into a world you may have never seen, the world of, “Landscape Looking.” This could be the most enjoyable 39 minutes you’ve had in a while. “Look at that!” (If you would like to view his videos free of YouTube advertising, consider subscribing to his Patreon channel here. The subscription is billed monthly, you can cancel at any time, but if you are serious about improving your watercolor…
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The Power and Purpose of Curiosity
This month we are taking a fresh look at “Desert Island You,” exploring those values that remind you who you really are, free of the influence of loved ones or society. What do you like? Where do you find meaning? What are your passions? So far, we have looked at the roles that Art, Music, and Story have played in creating your inner “fingerprint,” unique to you. How did you learn about art and music and story in the first place? It all began with Curiosity. “Curiosity is the strong desire to learn or know something new. It is…
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The Power and Purpose of Story
What is a story anyway? Just because you’re talking doesn’t mean you’re telling a story, right? Here is Dictionary.com’s definition: Story: a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader “To interest, amuse, or instruct.” Good reminder. The first stories many of us heard were lullabies. If you were very lucky, as I was, your parents read you bedtime stories that were accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Those illustrations triggered the first phases of visual literacy for the little listeners. Many children soon took over “reading” those books aloud…
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The Power and Purpose of Beauty
As we continue to March On, rediscovering the power and purpose of who we really are, let’s begin by looking at this thing called Beauty. If you want to get into a deep debate (even with just yourself), try defining the word “Beauty”. Let’s start with what Merriam-Webster settled on. “Beauty is the quality or group of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or the mind.” (In this essay, I am focusing on the senses of Seeing and Hearing. The beauty of language – writing, poetry, etc. – will be explored next week…
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Aloft with Inspiration 