Favorite blog posts this year

 As I look back over this tumultuous, largely negative year,  the pandemics have helped rescue this blog, though I didn't realize it until recently.

"Te Ata portrait," back in January

I began going back, month by month, to choose my favorite posts, which in some ways was like reading a diary, a journal of a plague year, where I found, painted and wrote about much of the beauty still here. It became a purpose, a cause, to provide color and thought to offset the horrors. 

My posts and paintings helped the blog set a record. More on that tomorrow. But I also found that the more I painted, it spurred me also to write about the art, leading me to more reading, and more metaphor and thought. I painted more than ever, spurring my learning, as I put together slide shows of the work.

So here are some of my favorite paintings and articles, month by month. Scroll through them for a look back in time.

January--My first portrait: Te Ata

February-- Trees ; Manners

March-- The virus

April-- A new word ; Magic tree ; OKC bombing

May-- Pandemic journal-1 ; Granddaughter's graduation ; Edmond Sun execution (one of five editorials/sketches)

June-- Pandemic poetry ; Bitter icing on Edmond's cake

July-- Pandemic journal-2 ; Rocking & Rolling watercolor

August-- Pandemic poetry ; On the Llano ; Fort Reno chapel

September-- Art show ; Chimayo

October-- Back roads poetry

November-- Americans voting ; Uncle Mike

December-- Truchas inspiration ;  Truchas dreams