Retired But Working (?)

 I am happy to announce that I have begun a new chapter in my life. A very apropos designation for my opening months of Retirement. 

Chapter One: get Medicare and Social Security on track, plus continue with my regular volunteer "jobs". 

Volunteering as a musician in the Boyertown Alumni Marching Unit and Concert Ensemble and volunteering for that group as co-Music Librarian and as Patron Committee Chair (well, I AM the Patron Committee - it's just me, myself, & I in that committee). These few items have taken up the majority of my life during the first quarter of the year. Chapter One is essentially complete.

Chapter Two: begin to do the things I haven't really had time to do while working more than full time at a public library. 

These include writing (poetry, prose, letters, & my blog, etc.), photography, and painting. So far, I have been collecting and collating my poetry, prose, and photos into a book. Yes, I am finally working on a volume of my Words & Art. I have amazed myself when looking through my various notebooks and computer files to choose which works I will include - there are so many!

I will try to post some sample pages here in my Blog, but it depends on what file formats are allowed. Some of the photos, poems, and prose have previously been published in this very Blog. Most of the prose has definitely come from here, but I have changed or edited them a bit over time, this way they are more up to date or have had corrections made.

Eventually, I hope to have this book published. 

Chapter Three will involve working on my painting. 

I hope to have some of my art available for sale later this year. I also hope to have some of my work entered in Juried Art Shows. 

I have ambitions. 

I think these ambitions are another form of - WORK!

Sample Pages from bk WordArt by mARTa

Please click the above link to get an idea of the book I am working on. There are seven sample pages posted on my LinkedIn page. I would appreciate it if anyone or someone would let me know what they think.

And so, Onward into this new Lifestyle!

My Visual Art: Nature Inspires Me

Much of my writing is based on the beautiful world around me, as you may have read in the poetry on some of my previous posts.         My Word Art. 

Another aspect of my "art" is photography and now painting. I have already shared some of my snapshots here. Also I have included some of my best photos as illustrations for some of my writing here on this blog.

Recently, I had some of my photos transferred to Canvas. I gave some as Christmas presents the last couple years and have actually sold a few! I have been encouraged by friends and family to display them together in one place. 

In lieu of an Art Gallery, I will start displaying my work here on my Blog. I will begin by posting a few of my Photo Canvas Art here and a few of my Paintings as well. But going forward I will create another tab on this Blog and post my Art there. All are available for purchase.          Please email me if you are interested...                        mjwpoet@yahoo.com or mjwwriter@gmail.com

The first six are Photos on Canvas and have Gallery edges so no frames needed. They are 16X20".

The bottom with me showing it is "Birches Before Autumn Field" which I finished painting in June 2020. It is 20"X24". 

I painted all the side edges even though it is only 5/8" thick. Most people would frame it, but I currently have it hanging on my wall as is and I like it that way, very 'clean' looking.

The painting is in the Impasto style so it is very heavily textured. See an edge-on image of the painting at the right.