It’s been awhile since my last post… Back then, on the eve of 2020, I described “challenging times.”

Was it clairvoyance? It’s always so tempting to try peering around the corner, wondering what will come next. Who could have imagined where we were headed? All I knew then, and all I know now is that there are always challenges. We’ve been given time, which is a gift and also a puzzle. What to do with it?

For me, creating art, has always been a gift. A gift to be able to express myself in images. And more and more it’s been a puzzle — to figure out how to share those images and visions with others.

My new online notecard shop started very simply – I printed a few of my paintings on notecards and sent the cards to friends. It felt so much more satisfying than sending a text, emailing, or having a FaceTime session. It was a way to slow down and not necessarily engage in conversation right then. Plus, I wanted to send something special. When one of my friends told me that he’d framed the card I sent him, it was natural to take the next step.

From my wildlife gallery, I chose six of my favorite bird paintings and I created six cards depicting those birds with their very different personalities. This group of birds is powerful, colorful, and very wild. It took time, as I searched carefully to find the right paper, the right pigment ink, the right process to render and print these in full color and to package them safely.

I’ve designed these cards for a purpose: to carry your thoughts, your message -- whatever is special to you — to someone you are thinking about or to keep for yourself. Each card is blank inside, so it can be used as a greeting, a thank you, a card to hold a longer letter inside of it, or it can be framed to sit next to you and keep you company throughout your day. A link to the shop is here.

Each of us has been given gifts that carry with them quandaries and puzzles. I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.