It’s been a busy Spring with several competitions and a trip to Apalachicola, all dedicated to painting and selling as much as I can. I’m doing much less ad work and more painting —which is what I want but, like much in my life, I tend to back into things and this is no exception. I’ve had very little success in winning anything but I have sold quite a bit of work—whether it ads up to much money and replaces my graphic design work is questionable. I work hard at painting and little by little progress and improvement. Like any skill of merit, it takes practice, practice, and more practice. With painting it never ends—the more you know, the less you know.
Going back a few months is hard for me. The older I get the more I tend to file away my past into volumes in my dimly lit brain.
I’ll start with more work from Mabry Farm. This Spring I found out the original farmhouse and the acreage around it have been sold to a developer. They have not done any clearing yet but plans include the demolition of the 1914 farmhouse that I am so fond of. Consequently, I’ve been instilled with the idea of getting the word out with the thought that someone may come to rescue! We’ll see, in the meantime, I continue to paint it.
Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time painting views of the beehive or apiary —as it’s called. My wife recently needed local honey for her ailments and I was amazed at the wonderful taste of local honey that I naturally acquired from the only source I know. I now wonder why I have not spent more time painting this rather interesting collection of boxes out in the light. I’m making up for it.

In the Spring a hive is set out to “capture” queens in search of new domiciles.