Hope, plus coming events

I’m a fan of Andy J. Pizza’s Creative Peptalk Podcast. Here’s a quote I’ve been savoring from episode 243 (roughly transcribed, towards the end):

“Everybody needs hope every day, and they need art that helps them say ‘yes’ to life. That cup gets empty really quick… I’m just trying to be an agent of refilling and being of service to people.”

Andy J. Pizza

When I get discouraged and the work that I love to do starts to feel… thin? It helps to think of how uplifted I’ve been by other artists’ work, and how grateful I am that they are doing what they’re doing. Maybe that can be me, occasionally, for someone else. It means so much to live in a world where people are exploring and communicating in creative ways. So that’s pepping me up today.

Upcoming events

“Dreamer,” a lino print inspired by T’hanisi Coates’ Between the World and Me, will be included in the North Park University Alumni Triennial Show. The show starts on Sept. 18 and an opening reception will be held on Sept. 19, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. with and artist talk at 6 p.m. I look forward to seeing the show before it ends on Oct. 18.

My oil painting of “Three Oranges” has been part of “The Sky’s the Limit” group show at the Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery. That show ends on September 22, in conjunction with the Park Forest Art Fair on September 21 and 22. I’ll be there in booth 4. I’m aiming to finish some new oil paintings and prints for that show. I’ll been posting more work in progress photos on my instagram account at debrhapainting, so check it out!