Especially for artists of the Plein Air variety.

Making art in the hot sun, wind, rain, birds flying over, bugs dying on the canvas, dogs visiting, people peering over your shoulder, and who knows what else, as you’re open to the mercy of Mother Nature. This is Plein Air. I have the greatest respect and awe for Plein Air artists.

I still have to finish painting my version of Magritte’s “The False Mirror” (above, not my version!) on the gallery’s outdoor wall. Why do I put it off, continually? It’s everything listed above: and the wind, shadows, blinding sunlight. Of course, rain, snow. I love the outdoors, but not when I’m trying to concentrate on work.

Luckily, I’ve had a number of broken bones since I started the mural. Osteoporosis. And my hubby’s nickname for me, Stumbleina. My broken foot (twice), toe, and wrist have kept me installed within the gallery, away from the call of Magritte. Valid procrastination.

I’m waiting for my present foot fracture to finish healing, maybe another week, then getting used to standing instead of sitting. That should delay my guilt for the summer, but just in time for a cool early fall. No excuses, then.

So it’s going on my calendar for September. I figure October may be too cold, so it’s narrowed down. And I have time to get the paint and utensils out and ready. I don’t have any projects with a deadline, so my time is open to organize.

But that idea for a larger mural on the big wall will most likely not be done by me. If our little town had an art competition, I could get a mural done for free, like in the town where I live, two miles from the gallery.

But who knows, maybe I’ll end up liking my Magritte mural, and contemplate painting a large one. Yeah, right. I’m also paranoid of ladders. Wait, another broken bone…hmm.