I cleaned up in the studio today. I don't know how it happens but every 5 weeks or so my artistic space gets cluttered up with stuff that has no business in my studio. I have a feeling that today's activities will be a precursor to a major house clean. That is logical, as after all, Spring is Sprung this week. And our son is leaving home. I do believe that furniture will be rearranged.

In the process of de-junking the studio I pulled a box out from under my table and found a folder of paintings that I was unsatisfied with at the time of completion. I set aside a few of them and carried on with my task at hand. My paint stained plastic yogurt and sour cream containers have been replaced with clean white ones, surfaces have been dusted, order has been restored.

As much as I love making lists, I hate leaving things half -done. The unfinished paintings lying on my table mocked me with their presence. They had to be dealt with! So I added colour and shadows, and I lifted colour and added highlights. Some of them look better , others became muddy. None of them are any good but they no longer need to be addressed. I learned stuff, so I can justify my efforts with that. And now I can start fresh. Like a new semester in high school. A blank sheet of paper in a clean room.

Next week I might tackle my taxes.

I am posting the completed painting that I started last week of an Arbutus at the Point. It's on a full sheet of Arches 140lb cold press paper. I had a bit of fun getting the bark on the arbutus tree using Quinacridone Gold and Alizarin Crimson. Even just saying those names makes me happy.

Carol blogged about playing crib this week. It reminded me of when Peter and were dating 38 years ago. That made me happy too. Check her out at www.carolkinnee.com