My Sanctuary

I was sitting outside last night downing the last of my 64 ounces of water for the day when I realized something had been nagging me all day. It took me a couple of moments, but I figured it out.

Now that I had a blog, what was I going to do with it?
I had over the last several days viewed other blogs and sensed that each one had its own common thread that held them together, despite how diverse the artist might be. What was mine? What did I want from this blog? Where did I want it to go? It reminded me of a favorite book I once had, ‘What’s it all about Charlie Brown?’
Indeed, what is this all about?
I thought about the name of my blog and started there.

Sanctuary: refuge: a safe place, especially for people being persecuted.
A place where wildlife is protected: a place or area of land where wildlife is protected
from predators and from being destroyed or hunted by human beings. A bird sanctuary.

I had grown up on the rim of a bird sanctuary. It was my home away from home. My retreat. Where I went and sketched for hours.

Sketches: Pictures done quickly and roughly, without concern for detail.
May be done to capture the general mood of a scene, or to help the artist work out an idea for a finished composition.

The sanctuary of my youth was a brief 3/10 of a mile from my front door. All I needed were pen, paper and good hiking boots. So easy, so simple.

Over the years I’ve watched debilitating diseases careen through lives, destroying personal and family sanctuaries, then hurrying on to other victims.
Like many. I’ve had nights of despair fearing that morning would never come, and then nights when I prayed it wouldn’t.
Last night when I walked through my studio, I saw a life in mid stroke. Projects of the heart I hadn’t followed through on. A crisis here, a tragedy there. I could just as well write my bio from what I failed to finish as to write it from those things I did. Many wonderful projects set aside for better days . . .
So, I want Sanctuary sketches to be about re-finding my sanctuary. A place of retreat when the hazards of life come barreling through. To be able to finish the projects I once started and still believe in; and also to have the courage to follow new dreams.

I want to be the person God intended me to be.

To keep this foremost in my thoughts I plan to post my projects as I finish them along with new ones I create. I commit to myself-- to be myself. Please wish me luck!

No earth shattering discoveries tonight just the realization that my sanctuary is still where it always was- within me. I just have to enter.

Thanks to those who took the time to read this lengthy post, I wish you well.