Texas. Texas is where I live. Texas is where we have Chosen to live. Yes, we escape the heat and play in Colorado, but, Texas is our home. The two states are actually very similar in their sturdiness and stamina. One conquers extreme cold and one extreme heat. Let there be much of a crossover and the real tests begin and the Character comes out. This last week was a test for Texans as we experienced over 100 hours under freezing. Ok, you Mainer’s just laughed, but its a big deal in Texas, like a back to Adam and Eve Record Breaking deal. The Really remarkable event was that Every county in Texas was blanketed in snow. It’s never happened before. Ok, fine. Turn up your heat and handle it, You say? Well, millions of citizens didn’t have heat. Including people that I love and that makes it personal. Not having heat in those temperatures, quickly turns inside temps to outside temps and some people did that for 5 or more days. Oh, and no heat quickly freezes pipes and many people also didn’t have water for 5 or more days. Stop a minute and think about what that means. It’s dangerous, encompassing and not that desirable. I won’t go into the myriad reasons that there were Texas heat and water failures. That will be hammered out significantly in the Texas Legislature immediately and some people are going to Get to explain why they dropped the ball for millions of people. But, stuff gets figured out and Texans will be Resilient and Elastic and bounce back. We Always Do.

In the meantime, while my husband spent his days going from system to system with heat lamps and space heaters, I spent a good bit of time in my new studio making art. I’ve been plenty honest, that I don’t have much interest in the worlds undisputed favorite color Blue, but I DO try to use it now and again. I Can enjoy a deep Navy blue, and it helps my wincing, to pair it with My Color Love…Orange…the worlds LEAST favorite color. Hey, I didn’t decide that, nor that it is Blues’ Complimentary color, I just got lucky there! I love to rust papers and fabrics, so when using Blue, Rusty Orange is my go to color. I’ve gone a little crazy with my worktop table count in my studio, I’m up to 5, but who Ever said they wanted Fewer tables? : )

I’m also getting ready to submit to the San Antonio Art League and Museums 90th Annual Exhibition. I’ve been blessed to have had art selected for it by some really remarkable jurors and I always love giving it a try. 2 of the 3 pieces that I will submit are ready, but the weather has slowed the dry time of my clay for the third. Yes, I could have brought it inside to dry, but I didn’t, so I’m waiting…

I have to tell You one more time, about an amazing Art Journal that I found at Carol Hicks Boltons, Fredericksburg, Texas. The paper is so perfect and textured andandand… It’s made by Sugarboo & Co. The name alone compels you to buy, right? Anyway, I’m loving using it right now with mono printing, but it loves watercolors and pencils and acrylics, etc. It’s very affordable and comes in a deliciously bound book. As a selling artist, one piece sold will easily cover the cost of the whole book.

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Finally, one of my favorite 2020 Christmas Gifts was from a son. He always asks me what kind of new Art Supplies I want. Smart kid, right? Anyway, Amazon had just sent one of those perfectly timed Wish List brain worms and tucked it right into a fold in my brain. I asked for a book on the Life and Art of Edgar Payne. Never mind that he walked the earth in the early 1900s which is my favorite era, but he created his own genre, breaking away from the softy pastel colored, lily padding and women carrying umbrellas Monet type painting artists and packed his supplies on donkeys and roughly and heavy handedly painted the California Sierras. The book is full of history, life stories and images. SO MANY IMAGES! Anyway, I’m happily crawling through every page.

So, there You go. A quick update from my Texas studio, specifically the Beautiful Hill Country of Texas. It’s Beautiful in or out of snow, cold or warm. It’s citizens pull together and help each other. We are smart, we are patient waiters, but fierce when we know somethings not right.

I’m Delighted that You stopped by. I hope that you will Subscribe and stop by often. You can find me on FB, IG and Pinterest, often under the business name Hastypearl or Hasty Pearl. It wasn’t until a little later that I added Laura Roberts Art. I love them Both!

I also have Art available at Mockingbird Handprints, San Antonio Art League & Museum and Gallery 195 of Boerne. 195 has a great Online Website where you can view pieces of my work.

Best as Always…Laura