I won't say goodbye. I will only say I love you.

I had my last few days in Inverness at the J.B. Blunk residency. I worked so hard and completed four paintings and three drawings. I started a few others and made one total flop that will never see the light of day. That always happens... But, I am so very happy with all of the good work that I produced. Through the beauty, silence, fog, sun, rain and many new friends found up on the mountain, I gained some new insight into myself and my work. I started including human eyes in my composition where only animals were once allowed. I noticed abstract shapes in nature, where it had not been on my radar before. I learned to get a little loose with my mind and my application when I used both paint and pencil. I know that I'm totally nutty detailed, but I really did loosen up on some of those lines. A visitor pointed out to me that much like Gordon Onslow Ford (The painter), I was using line, dot and circle. Well, I looked really closely at my tree stump drawing and WHOA! They were right. It's all made up of those three symbols, beloved by Ford. I was influenced and I didn't even know it.

So, here are some photos of my last couple of days at the residency. My six year old son told me on the day I left to come up here: "Mom! I will NOT say goodbye. I will only say I LOVE YOU!" And that is just how I feel about all of the people of Inverness, Pt. Reyes Station and the Lucid Foundation. I won't forget you and I am so happy to have stayed for a little while.

Tara