I painted this little bouquet of cosmos in the summer. It seems an eon ago.
Cosmos, oil on linen panel, 12 x 16 inches
All of us at Centre College were faced with adapting our plans for the upcoming fall term in the face of the pandemic. I stopped painting mid-summer to prepare for a radically different method of teaching. Remote teaching in the spring term, when students evacuated the campus, had been improvised in an emergency. For the fall, I wanted my online instruction to become more polished, so I began learning how to do better classroom demonstrations and group critiques on video. And the courses had to be re-designed to fit into an intensive six-week term.
The experience was nearly as demanding as my first year of teaching at Centre. My students came through with flying colors, both those who were on campus and those who were learning remotely.
Now that the fall term is finished, I have been catching up, photographing works made earlier in the year. Cosmos is a reminder of the warmth of August.
A large cloud of these brilliant little flowers glows at the entrance to our front porch, right where we step out and return each day. Ann planted them in that spot years ago. All summer long they make a wonderful display—innumerable orange flashes floating above a green haze of foliage.
From our house to yours, we send warm wishes for a great holiday season and a very Happy New Year!
Shopping for a gift for an art lover? Signed copies of my book are available online, and locally in Danville, at the Art Center of the Bluegrass, and Maple Tree Gallery.
