Whew…2024 blew right on past me, then, not to be outdone, 2025 promptly slapped the snot out of me out of the chute.

I was in (let me count) thirteen shows last year, including three pieces at three different venues as part of the Dallas ART214 Biennial Exhibition(s). Plus I took Best of Show at the CCAN 2024 National Juried Competition in Abilene, TX – one of my favorite venues (still waiting on the check!), and was in the Artspace111 11th Annual Texas Juried Exhibition!

And then 2025 hit.

I got word that one of my oldest friends, Glendon Blount – the very first friend I made as a Freshman at TCU – had passed away of a heart attack. He’d had some serious medical issues, but it was still a shock.

Add to that I’d been coughing and hacking most of December, and I was starting to sense my mortality. Didn’t get a lot of art done, missed a couple of deadlines for some shows, most days doom-scrolled the latest news on my phone, and/or farted the days away…..You get the picture.

But spring is in the air. I’ve finished a few works on paper I’m pleased with, had a one-person show in Stage West’s lobby/cafe, started planning some trips with my sweet bride, and generally began climbing out of my Hole of Funk.

So, let us pledge to each other to be happy, laugh at absurdity, and search for joy. Because what the hell else are we supposed to do?