Rest....Sweet Rest!

Happy Friday!  My hubby and I are sitting on our screened in porch enjoying the 75 degree weather and the beginning of the weekend.  The girls have a playdate going with one of Lilly's best friends, I'm getting ready to pour a glass of wine and I must say......life is good.  I haven't relaxed like this in weeks.

Last weekend I did my first art show in years.  I'm always so busy promoting the artists in the gallery that I forget, sometimes, that I'm an artist, too.  So.....I buckled down for 8 weeks and made a 'tent load' of new art to display so that I wouldn't have to take anything from the gallery.  Holy Moly.  I was glad when the show finally rolled around so I could get some rest!

It was a great show and I so enjoyed talking with folks.  It really is gratifying to see that people actually like my work.  Not everyone likes folk art.  Really.  You either love it or hate it.  I enjoy painting in my style so much.....I guess because it reminds me so much of Kentucky and my roots.  

I've always toyed with the idea of taking formal art classes (I have no instruction other than a 5th grade class) but part of me is afraid I'll try to get too technical and lose my 'folkiness'.  So.....I just keep doing my thing.  Sometimes it goes well......other times no one even stops for a looksy.  So be it!

But, all those weeks of using every free second to create and then this past week to catch up on all the gallery work that had been ignored (whew.....and there was LOT'S of catching up to do!) truly makes me appreciate the lovely evening I'm about to enjoy with my family.  Rest is so important.  More important than I give it credit for.  I just recently started taking my Sundays seriously.  You have to admit it......God is pretty smart about this whole 'take a day off and keep it holy' thing.  

Since I started taking one day to do no cleaning, computer work, Sanctuary work or painting......I find I'm raring to go on Monday.  I can start the week and be excited about what's coming up.  I even find that the things I usually dread, like paperwork, don't faze me the way it did when I allowed myself to work 7 days without a break.  And even though I work from home mostly.....anyone who owns a business knows that you are NEVER off duty.  

Had a blast creating these tables from old windows a friend gave me from her house!

You work even when you relax, whether you are returning emails and texts (I get them from artists and instructors well into the late night) or working on schedules or even just taking 15 minutes to work on an art project.  I'm never truly 'off'.  

I was supposed to teach an art class tonight to a lovely group of ladies.  We call them 'cocktails and paintbrush' classes because they are only 3 hours long and the ladies are encouraged to bring cocktails and munchies and relax while we walk them a simple but beautiful painting.  I would have left here at 5:15 to get ready for the 6:00 start time but at 4:00, I had this overwhelming desire to call another instructor and see if she would enjoy teaching instead.  What did she say?  Yes.  

Oh, Glory!!!  So here I sit.....5:45.....glass of wine.......blog writing......tuna on the grill.......listening to my sweet kids having a blast.......

Life is good.  Rest.....sweet rest.

Good night!