One Small Thing, Then Another...

Life is full right now. The day job(s), the renovation, family, the dog whose sweet but complicated nature requires daily attention, and everything in between. Some weeks the to-do list reads like a dare. It leaves little time for two very meaningful things in my life... photography, and work in the studio.

I am avoiding the overwhelm by doing something shockingly simple. One small step every day towards my goals at Fieldwork. Lo and behold... small steps build momentum.

Take the studio. If I work hard to carve out even small blocks of time, things magically get moving. And - being back at this work has been an absolute joy. I've been creating new pieces, inspired by landscapes I have visited and loved.

The aspens with their watchful bark, taken at Rocky Mountain National Park.

An Icelandic sky; dramatic clouds and conflicting light.

Interestingly, most of the new pieces are small. My mother used to call little pieces of art "stocking stuffer" sized. I love - and embrace - that idea. Maybe that is why I kept reaching for them.

But here is the thing about small. It leads to big. Soon I found myself finishing a new (and larger) "Winter Light" piece... of course, while it was humid as heck outside. Snow on the panel, but just a bit of sweat on the brow.

Then, the momentum rolled right past the studio door.

I joined the Vermont Crafts Council. This October, the Field Station will open for

Vermont's Open Studio Weekend. More soon on that one - very exciting!

The antique prints are having their moment, too. A new shipment just arrived from Europe. I'll be framing away for the next few weeks. But I couldn't help myself - I started with this antique chromolithograph of Australian animals.

Kangaroos. A platypus. A cockatoo mid-snack. Heart melt.

And - some of the momentum extends to downtown Chester. Wonderful friends and colleagues have expanded their business, Collected, LTD, into a beautiful new space on the Chester green. These are three friends with a very good eye. Unique, curated finds... antique, repurposed, locally sourced and created, with a soft spot for local makers and women-owned businesses.

In their new space is a gallery wall that is just right for a hand-picked selection of antique nature prints. So Fieldwork's prints hang on the green again.

Please join Collected, LTD this Friday, August 7th, from 4 to 6 to celebrate the expanded space - come on through the new front door! Lover's Lane Flower Farm will be there too.

Go say hi to the amazing people, browse the beautifully curated antiques, and visit a special selection of antique nature prints from Fieldwork.

Small steps... they add up to good things, friends.