Smoky day blues

 

Much of the prairies were covered in smoke yesterday. We were in one of the bad spots, with ash particulate hanging in the air. It was a day when staying indoors was essential. 

I haven't done any painting during this long stretch of being between homes. Part of the reason for this is that my paints, brushes and canvases are safely tucked away in a storage pod in Calgary. But the bigger reason is that in order to create, it's important for me to feel grounded. I won't feel truly grounded until our project comes together in High River. 

I'm feeling like I might do some watercolour painting today, perhaps a portrait. That's where my art journey started back in 2012 and 2013, with watercolour portraits. It feels like a new beginning being away from it for over five weeks (so far). 

One of the blessings of this delay, largely driven by permit related issues, is that both the home and studio will be likely completed and ready to move when we get the green light by the Town of High River. Had things moved more quickly, there would have been a two to three week delay between the house arriving and then the studio. You can only imagine the excitement we will feel when that development permit gets approved and things start to move.

It struck me yesterday that while we hear the bluejays every single day out on the farm, that I had not taken a single picture of one. I set some peanuts out on a little feeder on the front porch. It was a short wait.