Zebra Grass

Zebra Grass
Originally uploaded by linfrye

Daily Practice/Escape!

Yesterday began before 7 am and the work day ended amost 13 hours later. It seems with the winding down of the semester, grades, billings, final accounts, holiday festivities, end of year meetings, budgets, etc., etc., there is a SHOVE toward getting everything done PRIOR to the school closing for the last two weeks of December. And yesterday, between meetings, phone calls, drop-in's emergencies, and the rest, my ears were ringing like holiday church bells.

So at noon-thirty, I closed my office door, walked out of my building, and baracaded myself in my car with my sketchpad and absolute SILENCE! AHHHHHH!

I looked out the windshield and drew what was right in front of me -- the corner of the mobile unit garden. On the side of the unit that houses our office space, is the xeric garden designed and installed by our horticulture students 2 years ago. Today, the zebra grass (yes, the blades of grass are STRIPED in ecru and green) is almost as tall as the air conditioning units that cool our offices, and the sienna colored plumes dance in the wind, slightly brushing the side of the building. Delightful ... and blessedly peaceful ....

So I drew the scene from my car, but then, knowing what was waiting for me on my desk, left the solace of my auto to return to the fray and painted this later at the B&B from memory and when I finally made it home.

There are numerous 'drop-ins' and office parties between now and next Wednesday as well as final exams and grades to post, so it'll be as busy as ever. I hope though to find that elusive butterfly we call time to spend a bit more of it in that 'zone' we love when we paint.