Recently my wife brought home a gift for me, a gray toned sketchbook. It was so much fun using my white pastel pencil and white gel pen to draw with. It reminded me of using a white crayon as a child. It’s enjoyable because you can draw what’s in your mind without having to draw around the white. Instead of drawing an outline a snowman and filling in a black top hat, you drew the entire snowman in white, then followed up with a black hat. As a watercolorist it’s interesting because you’re not going around the negative space. It also of course gives a much different look to your…

On this day in history, President Washington released his farewell address to the nation. As a founding father, not a politician taking a side, he gave suggestions for the country’s future. I offer no political commentary, or add my feeble opinion to any political position. Instead I celebrate the fact that President Washington saw beyond his self for the country’s future. He knew more possibly better than anyone else, the country was built by people, rather than one person. Washington knew it was God blessed, and planted deeply in our hearts. He also knew the strongest trees are nourished and cared for. Washington’s desire was for us all, regardless of…