It has been a long, long time since I've signed in, almost a year. Maybe slightly more than a year. A long time either way.

In that time I've switched galleries, stopped some things and started others.

My painting is moving, ambling in a new direction. I'll figure out how to upload pictures and I'll show the progress of paintings as they develop.

I find that the paintings begin with an idea and move very rapidly AWAY from the concept that originates them. It is an interesting genesis.

Today, Saturday, I have a couple of ideas about new paintings to start next Monday, September 19. At the end of the day, I'll show you the concept and how it begins.

This painting above, "Dancing Wine Glasses " is my husband's favorite painting. It began as a sedate photograph of a table setting with lovely wine glasses. Translucent, delicate studies of glass, shadow and reflection. Somehow a rollicking concept emerged and took over. Color always wins.

It's good to be back.

I have a website.

Once again my daughter has come to my rescue and cancelled my website curse. I have been floundering for what seems like years to try and get my paintings on the web. We still have to retake pictures of the old paintings, include new paintings and re-categorize the whole group. But we have begun!.

Please visit www.JoanShapiroFineArt.com. Hope you enjoy it.

Happy Valentine's Day World, I love you.

I woke up this morning in an east facing room to see the sun rise over the fingers of the trees in the forest preserve half a block away.  It occurred to me that the reason people write is that they begin to understand their own world in a new way when they write about it.  I was looking out the window at the sun rising on the snow and the little Christmas village that is my neighborhood and I recognized something.

The house across the street from ours is the product of the constant work and love of the couple inside.  They met about 70 years ago and have really lived a life devoted to each other and their family.  In the early morning light you can see that the house feels loved, I know the people inside feel it.

One of our baby sitters, when the children were really small,  was very old and is gone now.  She said one of my favorite things about our house.  She said that it was filled with love.  Some times people look beneath the surface and bless you.  She is a wonderful memory to have on Valentine's Day.

I wish you all the ability to see the love that surrounds you.  You know you live in love.

Thank You!

I want to thank my beautiful daughter for giving me the keys to this blog kingdom.  She set this up for me and found the amazing picture of stained glass with the repeating heads that actually looks like her.  I find myself clicking on the blog site a few times a day, like visiting a new baby in the nursery.  There's not much there, but the possibilities seem endless.  I feel like I'm viewing the emergence of a new identity.

So, now I can write and write, sending thoughts in black and white out to the universe,  in a way I never would through conversation, really without regard to how they are received, because the fact is that there really isn't anyone out there listening or reading.

I spent too much time today wandering in the great blog wilderness.  You can wind your way through endless sites with lovely visuals and no greater purpose than to note things with style.  Where was I?  A beautiful sunny day and I was noting sofas deemed "glamourous".  Each blogger has about 20-30 sites they profess to frequent.  This is truly a new frontier or America needs to find more to do.  Is blogging the new TV?

I do admit to the allure of having an electronic soapbox to speak from.  It must really be exciting to imagine people signing in and answering back in some meaningful way. I see that people share important events from their lives, weddings, work related events, new inventory, artwork, floral arrangements, menus, projects, lectures, books, articles.

We'll see what turns up here.

A clue; this blog will be connected to a website showcasing my paintings, potentially some of my floral arrangements and amazing pastries made by a friend.  So, the visuals should be decorative, colorful, beautiful as only flowers can be and enticing (the pastry).

I'll be back, see you soon.