A Revealing Year

"The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination..."

                                                                                                      Carl Rogers

Last September we rented an apartment in Richmond, in the historic Fan District. It was part of our initial plan prior to leaving St. Augustine. Our daughter was finishing her BFA in Dance and Choreography and we wanted to see her perform as well as have a chance to experience a manageable, artistic, urban scene. 

It was a good year and Chloe thrived in her work. We painted profusely, started feeling the four seasons again and made new friends. But that's not the whole story...

Mid-year my father took a turn. He was the last of our parents and was, although determined to stay at home, extremely lonely and failing. His last months seemed to hit us hard and somewhat derail our 'moving train'. It gave us pause to assess our new life and how we see our own desires as well as our place in the world at this stage of our lives. 

We are beginning to revisit our intentions, explore new places, and continue our creative goals in earnest. We live in the moment as much as possible and enjoy the journey of rediscovery. It is an adventure after all.

Good Morning

We are enjoying the cool weather on our porch in Richmond. Hoping your porch is cool and the coffee  hot...

Leaving tomorrow

We are going to St. Augustine where the moon rises over the ocean

A favorite painter

I was thinking about a favorite Bill Evans album "You Must Believe in Spring" and ... Charles Burchfield, one of my favorite painters whose work was on the cover.

Back Shot

On our recent visit to NY I grabbed a few pictures of artwork long unseen but not forgotten...

San Miguel de Allende by Eleanor Hughes, 1979,
oil sticks on paper, approx. 11 x 14

The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Costantino Villani,  c. 1987
mixed media on unstretched canvas, 84h x 72w

A Year Later

We're back. Fell off the edge of the world? Not quite. Lots of 'life' happens when you least expect it? More likely.

We have just moved into another apartment in Richmond. Actually we have taken over Chloe and Abby's, located behind the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. It is smaller, better heating and cooling and recently renovated. Continuing to pare down and prepare for our next moves while enjoying the ride. This time last year we were crossing back into Spain from Portugal. It's been a year?

Our current 'Girl in the Field' Chloe is preparing to travel to Greece after a month of modern dance in Paris. Dance is a demanding, creative endeavor and we applaud all who give their all to it.

In June Eleanor and I traveled north, first to the mountains of northern Virginia to paint at Cousin Ruthie's home near Marshall. We continued to Ulster County, New York (known as the center of the arts in the Hudson Valley) for two weeks with Chris and Julie. We had planned to visit Montreal but I had forgotten to renew my passport! I guess that makes me 'a traveler out to lunch'.


We opted for Burlington, Vermont. A hip, alternative, outdoor town on the edge of Lake Champlain with the Adirondacks as a panoramic backdrop. Good food, a nice B&B, a great bike ride and a bit of painting. If I wrote reviews it would get all the stars.

Head protection (and fashion statement)

We returned to NY and Eleanor and I started painting there. Green landscapes are hard for me, Eleanor sees colors that often elude me. So she forged ahead and I worked with Julie on a 35 person/ 10 meal catering job out of her cafe, Jack & Luna's. Chris spent his days at his new drum shop in New Palz, CHBO Drums. NY turned out to be very busy and a lot of fun.

'On the grass' painting

By the Ashokan Reservoir
Exercising paper towel sun protection 

Julie and her catering assistant

Chris assembles a custom cocktail drum set

Home studio

This week we will be setting up our studios and hopefully getting a bit of rest. The main thing is ... we are back.

PS... check out EleanorHughes.com

Proud parents

Our daughter Chloe graduated today from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Richmond. She received a BFA in Dance & Choreography and awarded Outstanding Choreographer for 2012-13. VCUArts is ranked #1 public school of art and design in the US. We are extremely proud of her achievement.

Thankful

Eleanor is working on her illustrated book, researching letters written over 60 years ago that describe her family's lives during the Depression and WWII. Their financial and emotional struggles seem to parallel those facing many in our country today. We feel very fortunate that we are able to spend this time expressing ourselves creatively.

Eleanor's mother during the Depression

Last month our family, the Bowman side, gathered in North Carolina. It was a hard time for my Dad had moved to a nursing facility, unable to live alone any longer. It was quite hard for the grandchildren to see the changes he has gone through. We are thankful for all the time we have spent with him this year and are surrounded by and constantly taken by the many canvases of 'faces' he has drawn.

I look through Iphoto often for inspiration and memories that help to keep me mindful of the journey we have been and continue to be on. Here are two of my favorite painters in their past environs. These studios are gone but the work is still pouring out.

Mary in her studio with Eleanor circa 2009

Eleanor in her studio, 2007