The gifts of the Fall harvest in Maine have been delivered and now the biting air and heaps of brown leaves are moving us to the changes at our doorstep. But first, Halloween, a birthday, and eventually Thanksgiving. None of these occasions are amping me up this year, but I will give them each a bit of reverence, and my candy bowl is filled for all the little goblins.
I did participate in some lovely and fun Mid-Autumn Moon Festival activities. I partnered with my local library for some after-school crafts and we dished out lantern garlands and story puppets… easy, cozy and mellow. A good fit for me, right now.
Our CAFAM Moon Festival celebration was splendid, sharing the delicious food and full program of speakers and performers with old friends and new. We had attendees from teens to esteemed older CAFAM members in their 90’s. Celebrating with lanterns, mooncakes and song was a wonderful way to share community and friendship. And later on, the full moon was aglow with radiance in the nighttime sky.
Now I dive back into ongoing projects and more art making. I’ve been painting some new nautical works in gouache which I’ve been selling as notecards and prints. It pushes my boundaries; not only the very different painting challenges, but selling my art in the purest (reproduced) form to people who just…. like it. You artists understand. Part of a true creative life is always stretching and exploring with different art forms, mediums and subjects.
Soon it will be hunker-down time as we dance around the weather and shorter, darker days. I still love my Lucky Bamboo Crafts life, but like parenting a grown and flown child, I periodically focus attention on the crafts for kids and book events, but then redirect to the rest of life. A recent foliage view from a local mountain trail after a short hike was a great way to breath, reflect and take stock of all the great opportunities that lie ahead.
