Get outside, breathe in the air (plus, new art and larger print sizes)

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one” John Lennon

Friends, I was on vacation all of last week. I haven’t had any extended time off since September 2014, so this vacation was needed and appreciated.

We spent time with Eric’s family in rural Maine. We had no internet / phone service, stayed in a cabin on a lake, and filled the days with reading, relaxing, hiking, eating. It became super clear to me after a few days how much I needed the time to unplug, and I spent a lot of time simply using my senses: feeling the sun, listening to the water, gazing out over the mountains. Here are some highlight pictures from the week (all photos by Eric Cross):

Isn’t the lake just beautiful? Talk about a total escape. If I could figure out how to move Philly and Maine a little closer to each other, that would be great.

Midweek we hiked to the top of Borestone Mountain. The summit trail is a steep and rocky trek up, and proved just as challenging / invigorating as I’d remembered from the last time we were in Maine 4 years ago.

Also, look how magical and old the forest is! I have the urge now to paint a green, mossy forest full of little fairy houses.

The peaks of the mountain are at nearly 2,000 feet. Between the fresh, chilly air and the views of the lakes / trees below, I felt an energy seep into me that I’d lost somewhere in the midst of too many late nights and hours in front of the computer. I felt like the universe was poking me in the shoulder to say what have I been telling you? Get outside, even for just a few minutes. Breathe in the air. You’ll feel so much better when you do. 

It’s the simplest truth, and yet I often forget to go outside and breathe in the air. Let this be our reminder, yours and mine. Our bodies will thank us!

And here we are feeling super tired and sweaty but happy to have made it to the top. I’m grateful that life slowed down for just this one week, enough for me to appreciate how staggeringly beautiful our world can be.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

New painting 

Now it’s time for some new art! My newest painting, Wherever We Go, is finished. I really appreciated the slower pace of this painting, allowing me time to seek your advice and sit with the animals for a few days before I painted them in. Prints will be available soon in two sizes: 8.5×11 and 17×22.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Larger print sizes 

I also have a shop update! I’ve mentioned that we’ve been experimenting with larger print options, and I’m happy to share that a number of those options are now available in my shop. The following prints now come on 17 x 22 paper and ship in a tube instead of a flat mailer:

• Bloom
• Celebrate the journey
• Let’s dream together
• Let’s go on an adventure
• Morning sea
• We will always have each other

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Since we had no internet access for the entire week, I found myself turning inwards in a way that I don’t usually find space for. I challenged myself to not fill every moment of time, as I’m prone to do, but rather sit for extended periods on the porch or a sunny rock and let my mind empty.

The dreamy conscious state that emerged from those moments was illuminating, and I remembered that meditation doesn’t have to mean sitting for hours on a cushion with eyes closed. Meditation can be more active than that, witnessing and actively breathing, feeling a connection to the earth.

Even if going on vacation isn’t in your immediate future, I hope you will get outside and breathe in, then out.

In, then out.

With love,