Here we are at the end of 2010….Hard to believe, but it is true. As we were busy taking care of the moments, the year came and went.


I am not disappointed in the year 2010; it was actually good,  a year of learning for me. Most of the things I have learned are positive….most……...

But here I am, ready to tackle 2011.

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions, probably because I never stick to it. I suppose that is because I set my goal too high, totally unreachable. Failure is hard to take. It is much easier to just forget the resolution.
What is a resolution and how did New Year’s Resolutions come about? The dictionary says that making New Year’s Resolutions is “setting goals for the New Year.” As to where or how they originated, we only know that resolutions were already recorded by the Babylonians as far back as four thousand years ago.

The New Year is a great time to look at the changes we would like to make in our lives and how to accomplish them. A resolution is like a promise to our selves to improve our lives and to make the New Year a better one for ourselves and others. …..

I don’t think I will bother…There are things that I want to accomplish, actually I have a list. But I don’t need to make them resolutions. They are just things I want to do. Hell, at my age, making a Bucket List might be more reasonable!

So, here goes….
1. Return to Italy
2. Do a series of paintings worthy of a gallery show
3. Discover who was the first Estes to leave Lago de Como for Scotland
4. Bake a biscuit like Grandmother Ogg’s and a cherry pie like Grandmother Johnston’s
5. Go back to St Barth’s in the French West Indies
6. Learn more about Great Grandmother Ella Estes and Great Grandfather Napoleon Bonaparte Ogg
7. Visit the Louvre and study Impressionism
8. Write a cookbook for Somerset Ridge Vineyard

I suppose there are more things I should add, but these are the top. Maybe 2011 will be the year I accomplish at least one of the things on my list. I'm thinking I'd rather return to Italy more than I want to bake biscuits.

There are a few major changes in store for me, the first being new studio space in Paola. For Art’sake is closing its doors by the middle of January. I will be joining several other artists in David Gross’ Gaslight Gallery & Studio at 12 E. Peoria Suite 200. It is a wonderful space, but unfortunately, it is on the 2nd floor. The stairway is an outdoor stairway, so I am praying for a mild winter with no ice!
My painting has taken a big turn. I have returned to large abstracts, but nothing like the abstracts I used to do. I will post a photograph soon. I will be interested in hearing what you think. Making that kind of change is difficult; the uncertainty of it all can cause some uneasy moments. We painters want to be free to paint what and how we want, but we do need for everyone to like it!

Enjoy New Year's Eve!