Seventh Mountain group

So, last night was the first meeting of the Seventh Mountain artists in over a year. Seventh Mountain is an artist group that I co-founded a couple of years ago. It was one of my projects during the year that all three of my boys were living with their dad in Arkansas. I had to do something to keep myself busy or I would have sunk into a terrible depression. Actually, I did sink into a depression, but the camaraderie of all my artist friends truly helped me through it.

So, once the boys came back, the group just faded away without me to organize and pull everyone together. About a month ago, I went to an opening for one of the members, Ed King, and he asked about the group. "Are you planning to get that going again?" I said I would love to, but I thought, is anyone interested in that actually happening? I sent out an email to gauge interest and found that apparently everyone has just been waiting for me to bring them together. Well, maybe not "waiting", but most old members and a few new ones were excited about getting back together.

Back to the beginning of the blog,....Last night was the first regrouping and it went really well! I was so wound up when we came home that I couldn't sleep and stayed up painting until after 12:30! I cannot even remember the last time I was that motivated to paint! Interestingly enough, during the year that the group was nonexistent, I have had a hard time being motivated. I guess I just needed that connection to the Albuquerque art community. That was the most exciting part of the meeting for me, was all the talk of community and once again discussing the building of a community here in Albuquerque. I guess it's not neccessarily building a community, but bringing together the community that is already here. So maybe now I'm not so anxious to leave town and move off to the mountains to be a hermit! :)

In other news, I finally put up my peace auctions for charity. I have decided that from now on all my peace paintings will have 25% donated to the Peace Corps Fund. I have this dream to join the Peace Corps someday, but until that can actually happen, I will make my contribution with money. Below is a link to the first Peace Corps auction, and it already has a bid!

Charity auction for the Peace Corps Fund