Publisher's Notes

In December I told you that my family has a big wedding coming up in February.  Well that wedding is now just a few weeks away (Valentine's Day).   My brother in law, the brides father, had sudden and unexpected surgery, a quadruple bypass surgery!   And if that wasn't bad enough, he had serious complications after the surgery that has put his healing behind schedule.  We are praying that he will be strong enough to give Brooke away in marriage.  He is currently still in the hospital and the wedding is in two weeks, so it will take a true miracle for him to be at the wedding and able to give her away.   In the meantime, I have been running around trying to find and put together the final touches for the centerpieces and other decorations.  Brooke wants the reception to reflect a Natural New England Winter.  So we are putting up trees in the banquet hall and covering them with icicles and the centerpieces will have a winter appeal as well.    I can't say too much until after the wedding (want it to be a surprise for the guests) but once it is over I will post some photos of how it turned out.   I love how our artistic creativity allows us to do things we may never have expected.   I hope you are presented with opportunities to use your creativity in fun and unusual ways.  And don't be afraid, step out and give something new a try.   I have found that there are always others that are in your corner and want to see you succeed  that will come alongside and give you a hand and help inspire you.  

Here in New England the winter continues to press on and this year has left us asking "what happened to a January thaw?"   Because of the cruel weather and the darkness of night closing in so early, I run out of quality working steam early.  So I have found myself just sitting and doing some drawing, I have painted some backgrounds to see how the color and affect will turn out, and I have tried to catch up on finishing some designs that were sitting on the easel (so to speak.)   My life doesn't ever seem to have an abundance of quiet time, especially as I get older, so I'm trying to see the winter as an advantage.   

The next issue of THE PAINTING RAG will have the theme of "Good Things" and as we have been working on it I realized that there are so many "good things" that it is hard to fit all that we want to in the issue.  Once you start looking, you can find the "good things" very easily.     So start looking........   Tracy

Good morning All and welcome to 2009!   We are, once again, in a frozen wonderland here in New Hampshire.  It snowed and then sleeted and then rained yesterday and last night, and froze as it all hit the ground, leaving everything covered in a layer of crunchy ice.  But still my dog has needs so we went for our morning stroll making our way through crunchy snow on to the slick road for a breath of fresh air, and, well, you know.  As we walked an amazing sight appeared.  The skies were grey and still the sun came out on one end of the sky, streaking through to the ground and only in the midst of the streaks could you see small airy snowflakes wafting down.  Very pretty. 



I must seem as if I have become obsessed with the weather lately, and perhaps I have.  I have always enjoyed each season -  whatever it brings.  I like the hot, hot summer sun, LOVE the colors of the Fall and the crisp air settling in and normally even the cold of the winter because it gives me reason to stay home and inside painting and wiritng.  I left out Spring....... because Spring would be my least favorite season.  I love the flowers but it is the mud and rain and the teasing of warm to cold to warm days along with allergies that keeps me from completely enjoying it.    BUT, this has been a banner winter for us already and we still have a good three months to go which is what is causing me to obsess.   It has been weather event after weather event.    But even in the midst of this tiring winter, I still have a huge appreciation for natural sights and wonders.  I consider this morning's sight of seeing the sun gleaming and creating a spotlight for the tiny, otherwise unnoticable snow flakes, a gift.   Those moments are perfect and unplanned, a gift just for those who take the time to notice.   

I'm currently painting in nice summery colors.....watermelon colors, but not a watermelon.  A new make it-take it for JB Wood's Spring Festival in Attleboro Massachusetts at the end of March.   Hope to meet some of you there.   Something to look forward to!

As you can see on the website, the next issue of TPR is finally finished.  It just printed and will be picked up today and the distribution will begin.  Thanks for being patient with us, this was a tough issue to get out, you can read about it when you receive your Jan/Feb copy.  Don't worry....we are already working on the next issue, hoping to finalize it much earlier....just in case.   Enjoy the winter (I said that?) and catch up on all the wood and patterns you bought at the last convention, and then you'll be ahead of the game on gifts for next year!    chillin out.....Tracy