Things currently being yelled in the back of the RV by the young’uns : “chew with your mouth closed!”, “mom, she stuck her tongue out!”, and “sit regular!”. I’m scared to turn around to see what that last one was about, but will definitely have to “mother” out loud for a minute once I do turn around. Or maybe not, seems like they are figuring it out… and they’re watching PeeWee Herman. In any case, they’re all buckled in and just got quiet, so I can’t complain!
We’re on our return trip, having spent a week or so on the road from Texas to Ohio to spend the holidays with family and friends. My husband arranged a surprise birthday party for me too, so I have definitely felt the love in this trip. And tons of amazing food! Between the party leftovers, and Thanksgiving leftovers, our RV fridge is packed tight!
We’re currently driving through Tennessee, and it is still fall here! We’re had snow in Ohio, and we don’t usually get the intense, fall color change in Texas like you may get in the north, so this is a treat for sure. Inspiration for a painting or two, no doubt!
Reflecting on all that there is to be thankful for as I sit in the passenger seat driving all these hours home, (22 hours- roughly- over 2.5 days) I also am plagued by those thoughts about the excitement of what is to come these next few weeks, and the thoughts about what it will take to execute everything.
Tomorrow, as soon as we return, I have to load up a bunch of paintings to get them to the Fort Worth Community Art Center for a large end of the year group show, hosted by a few Fort Worth area artist collectives. I was invited by Artluck in Fort Worth and jumped at the chance to submit. I am thankful that this group reached out, and hope that many of you can attend the opening on Friday December 7, 2018 at 6pm. I would say that this show marks a great success after starting this journey about a year ago to really invest in myself as an artist, ready to put myself out there in a more intentional way, to be noticed and taken seriously.
And, as I look back on this year, the thing that has surprised me the most, is how collaborative and kind artists are to each other. When I was in school working on my art degree, I never was given any insight into what to expect from the world outside of the university setting. Granted, I didn’t explore that world while I was in school, and pursued a graduate degree in art therapy, but my imagination was not very accurate in what to expect.
What I am finding, is that as make connections and get out there, people are interesting and fun, and want to put on art shows and be successful together. I made a point to say “yes” to many things this year to bring my art forward. This upcoming show is one thing, but I also have art at the Irving Art Center through December 31st, and also in the West Irving Library- both in Irving Texas, and both as part of the Irving Art Association connection I made earlier this year. The Irving Art Association is very active in the visual arts, and have been a great model for what I would like my art community to look like.
Because of the library show, I thought to myself, “why can’t we have something like this closer to home”? I reached out to the Mansfield Public Library, and met with a few of the librarians there to organize and curate my own group shows over the next few months, and beyond if all goes well! If you are an artist and want to take part, please reach out or watch for my call for art in the next month or so.
Which means I need to keep up the pace with new paintings! I’m sure you all have seen my Elinor painting, and if not, you can find that post here. She is the first in a new series I am painting about beautifully made kids, and their stories. Check out the link, and if you know anyone that might need to be featured in this series, email me at info@heiditournouxstudios.com.
Ok, the time has come. The kids are now telling me they are hungry. Must be time for a potty break, lunch, and a switch of drivers!
And, I am thankful to my readers and supporters as I move through this journey! Thank you for your time, thoughts and kind words!
*update- we made it home, got the art delivered, and put up the Christmas tree! Can’t wait to see how these next few weeks unfold!
