Windows to the Inside
Slowing Down to Keep Steady
As this season’s colder temperatures finally settle in, I find myself working more slowly and deliberately with all of my tasks. I have been making it a regular practice not to rush through every little item on my to-do list. My busiest days can feel quite tiresome, and because of this, it becomes even more important to slow down and trust that what needs to be accomplished will find its own time.
Preparation for my annual show at the French House this Sunday, December 1, at 3PM, continues with logistical planning and rehearsals. The placement of this show at the back end of a big Thanksgiving holiday means that I succumbed to being human and scaled down some of my plans for this show. Sometimes, one can only do so much amid all of the hullaballoo of family gatherings.
If you, dear reader and friend, live in the greater Nashville area, please feel free to join us for this show. It happens in a beautiful historic home in the Belmont area of the city. There will be food and merriment during and after the show. (Please park on the street or at the parking lot of the gym on the other side of the nearby bridge.)
The lovely band Ever Alters will do an opening set before my band and I, Ancestral Tongue, start to play.
With all my visual art, I am going to work more slowly to add texture and intricacy. This means that I may have fewer to share, but I hope they will be of better quality.
If you look through my window, you may see a calm, glacial, gentle, and quiet flow of events. This is by design and the only sustainable way for me to manage stress and move forward.
COLOR NOTEBOOK
I wish I was a bird.
I decided to stick with warmer tones for this drawing, which is a departure from how I generally like to mix cool and warm tones together. Marrying pink and yellow for this bird felt like a good direction.
ABSTRACT FLOWERS
Seeking textures, shadows, and light.
This image presents the view of a plant from above. Circular flowers in various sizes are flanked by smaller pods and leaves on all sides.
FOOD
One dreamy quiche.
I do not often get to make something special in the kitchen, but when I do, I give it my best. This holiday weekend, one of my contributions to the big family meal was a quiche. I handmade a thick crust the night before and placed it in the freezer overnight to bring out a more flaky texture. The next morning, I mixed together eggs, spinach, artichokes, onions, garlic, cream, sharp cheddar cheese, and swiss cheese before pouring it all into the crust to bake. The end result was rich and decadent.
There are other dishes I like to make. Maybe I should cook more.
STILL LIFE
I am staying at my Mom’s house in Nashville for some of the holiday, and we all took various portraits. While my sisters got photos with their kids, I got one with my cat Chopin, who often tags along with me on these longer visits. (MaxZine could not make it and was volunteering to deliver food to families in need this year.)
I have two cat sons, and here is my youngest (a still-growing Maine Coon, as it turns out).
UPCOMING SHOWS FOR FALL 2024:
Hope your show is a huge success. Have fun making music…Cheers, Billy