c.s.ellington

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Cyanotype Sunrise bursts onto the scene

My writing is all but buried within my art these days, and has been for quite some time. Things I used to say in words I now put into my paintings and sometimes I talk about that and most of the time I don’t. I’ve been busy with my new Instagram; I say busy but what I am trying to convey is that on Instagram I go as far as my words will take me. It’s good Instagram is a platform not dependent on such and perhaps, as a visual artist, I am coming into my own on a platform less reliant on words.

Lately, I’ve been going back. I’ve brought out the cassette player and before that the record player. I’m learning how to connect an old fashioned stereo and have two IAWA speakers I’m excited to link. The new Ray Charles movie is good and so is the Wham! documentary. Something about bringing in the past – the best I can find to make a modern pace of life slow down It reminds me of a simpler time – a time before portable phones and a time when mail was delivered just once a day. I’m into the pace.

My sunflowers this summer are heavy under the Texas heat but before one recently bowed its head it grew to an upstretching seven feet tall! I’m growing zinnias and marigolds, also from seeds. The town next to me has a seed library I’d like to learn more about. The flowers are growing and the sun is shining most days and I’ve been painting sailboats, again. One, I gave away as a birthday gift and the other three sold at the Rockport Art Festival two weeks ago. Rockport is a wonderful event I look forward to every year.

So many things I could have written about in the past few years – the pandemic, the wrong way driver on the interstate that threatened to crash into my vehicle head on, Christmas in Manhattan, visits to Santa Fe. When I lived in Missoula, I remember reading a book by Maria Shriver; she wrote you can do it all but not at the same time. I have carried that advice with me throughout the decades since, especially going back in my memory when I am trying to do it all and at the same time. Some things are in season right now and some things are not. Ultimately, I still struggle with it but I know that my sunflowers are in season currently and let’s say, for example, decorated Christmas trees are not.

Which reminds me, we had the best time at Christmas, last year. It was a season that started early and ended late. All in all, we spent about six weeks playing cards, decorating trees and a gingerbread house, ice skating, visiting NYC and also visiting family. We went to the Guggenheim for the first time although it was our fourth time to the city. I fell in love with a new part of Manhattan (a quiet area near Battery Park) and felt overstimulated by Times Square, which I had adored when I was a few years younger.

I’m finding most of my time is spent raising my family; these years are sacred. Most of my time is spent away from a computer and my phone has as little attention as possible. That means my website doesn’t get updated much more than for my schedule. In this year, it is looking like I have seven, maybe eight events. I enjoy attending others but it circles back to not being able to do everything at the same time.

I want to thank the patrons who have come out to the events and the patrons who have contacted me to purchase art. I have so much to reflect on in the quality of experiences the art community has afforded. I truly feel blessed by the opportunity to create works of art and know these paintings are being brought into such loving homes. It is a larger dream than I could have dreamed and I honestly didn’t even imagine this career path. If you are on the mailing list or have found this post just by returning to my website, I’m still here. I’m happy and things are going well. I’ve been reading books, i.e. Why We Sleep/Matt Walker, The Creative Act/Rick Rubin and also learning from The Huberman Lab podcast for about 18 months – if you have too, find me at an event and let’s chat!

Sending health, happiness, love and light your way,

c.s.