The day started with a bit of synchronicity that blew my mind: My Escapist sister AVM Hawkins posted on Facebook that while at a conference in Austin she saw one of my prints in a hotel bathroom! There are many levels of magic to this: As we were celebrating Escapism today as part of John Ross Palmer’s 20-Year Retrospective, we were all sad that AVM had to be away from us. Her coming across my art in Austin was thus a good omen, a nice reminder that our Escapist family is united even when we’re geographically apart.
Also, the print is one that has special significance to me, especially right now that I’m working on releasing Lone Wolf, my road trip novel. The print is of a watercolor I painted three years ago, after my magical trip to Marfa with Claudia Curici, inspired by a photograph she took of me in my ruffled pink dress on a deserted road. The experience of being photographed by her in that particular landscape, the feeling of freedom and elation, the wonder at the beauty of the desert surrounding us, made it into the novel. It’s actually a very important moment in the story. So yes, there were so many levels of synchronicity to her seeing that particular image in a hotel in Austin. And I’m happy to report the rest of my day was filled with similar magic.
This new painting has an interesting sense of motion created, I think, by the long, sweeping lines of grey road headed to the vanishing point. I like it!