Where have you been Rick?

Good Question. I could write a long story here....but I won't, well maybe slightly long. A bit ashamed, but in an understated manner life just got in the way of my blog activity and my "to do" list grew greatly, priorities increased and shifted, needed some crisis management of some surprising, difficult issues, and so all became overwhelming.

But I never gave up on the hope of returning to, restoring my art blog. I apologize to any visitors who may have visited last year and found everything the same. It is a big no-no in the blog world to not keep your site fresh and lively. So here I am, be it as it may, to again bring you some hopefully interesting postings.

Praying and wishing 2018 will be a more stable, productive and less shocking year, as in negative shock, than 2017. Due to some illnesses, funding issues, needed critical travel and other stuff of life that includes the unplanned events, I was absent for many months from my art blog.

Lately I have been able to get back to the easel and get back in the flow of my abstract painting efforts and build my painting collection of this new genre for me. It has been fun, satisfying and inspiring. For many years I have been painting in the traditional realm, so the abstract expressions I create are quite refreshing and freeing, and I am optimistic that the public will enjoy my new and colorful tangent.

But today's posting will feature a traditional pastel that needs to be completed and get off the easel )). So I show you an in-progress photo of a pastel I am creating, painting from a reference photo I took in September of 2016, of an impressive Rome residence. When completed I will post the completed painting here on my blog with a few comments. Future postings likely will feature my new abstracts with commentary also. So thanks for visiting and I hope to have you return often, to see my new efforts and descriptions, backgrounds and stories of the particular paintings. All the best to you. Have a wonderful year.