Winter 2020/Spring 2021 Newsletter
Lonnie Rich
Retired Art Educator and Working Artist
From the Studio

     The spring weather is starting to return to the Emerald Coast and our bushes are starting to bud and bloom. There have been several very nice days of working in the yard preparing the landscape for the summer months.
     I recently constructed and installed a new water feature along a walkway that is a surprise, as it is hidden until one actually walks upon it. The water flow is very gentle, and hardly noticeable until standing right beside the feature. It still needs a little tweaking; with more stone work and plantings, but I think it's a very peaceful addition to the yard.  
     Setting up my new gallery space inside the house was fun. The previous home owners used the room as a formal space for their antique furniture collection. They had never installed overhead lighting; opting for lamps instead. It was a blank space for me to work with, so I hired a company to install 15 cannister LED type units that allows me to highlight both sculptures and paintings. I am pleased with what they were able to do for me.
     My studio/gallery/workshop is a wonderful work space that already has an HVAC system, so I do not have to worry about that expense. It was also pre-plumbed for water and sewer. My handyman was quick about putting in a bathroom (complete with a shower) for me. He put in a small electric, coil hot water unit that mounted directly onto the wall, and doesn't take up very much space. I also have a big utility sink that will allow me to clean up messes, so I guess I won't have many excuses not to keep a tidy work space.
     It will take me several months to really get focused on my next body of work. I'm not at all sure what that will be. I do have numerous ideas floating around my head. I guess I'm just waiting for one to land on my heart strings, so I'll know what will be the right direction for me to take-off into.
     Most of all, I feel blessed. Lou and I have our health, each other, and a new place to call our home. We have both had our first COVID shots, and are on schedule to have the second one on March 9th.
     Everyone stay safe and PLEASE wear your masks! It may seem uncomfortable at the moment, but you could be saving lives with such a simple act. We are, after all, at war against a virus.