Well, for me, because of the rush and madness of my day job this year, I feel like my Holiday season was far, far too short. I decorated on Christmas Eve. That may sound like some of the carols you've heard out there (probably on repeat), but, for me, there was just too much going on to have it be otherwise! Oddly, as an artist, there are phases of the year ingrained in my head. They run a bit like this:
Jan-Feb-March: Regular painting and improvement
April: Same, with prep work for painting a lot of water
May: Start of #Mermay art movement
Jun-Jul-Aug: Regular painting and improvement
Sept: Same, with a lot of prep work for the art explosion that is October
Oct: #Inktober, the massive 31 drawings in 31 days challenge
Nov-Dec: Prep work for winter paintings / possible 7-days till Solstice paintings
That time is dusted with art shows, which I've been doing less of in 2020 than ever before, in fact. I'm not sure how that will be, or if it will recover, in 2021.
I drag you readerly types through this because, oddly enough, in January, my brain is predisposed to missing May. Specifically, #mermay. I'm an artist in the pop-surrealist / new-contemporary art movement, so, it's almost legally bound to happen! But this year? Nope. I'm missing October more than anything. The opening ceremonies to my most favourite times of the year -- the joys of Samhain / Halloween, American Thanksgiving, and the Solstice / Christmas season that is my very favourite thing (I have never been a humbugger)! So, in keeping with that, I dug out the Arteza watercolour sketchbook I've been using for #Inktober, put gesso on the cover, and... painted it to symbolize what October is to me.
Fig. A wee little light as the night gets colder & longer, and the end of the year closes in.
What about you? Missing anything as the long days of January, roll out before you? Are you still a little worn out and depleted from the holiday season? I know I am! But! I'm pretty good at bouncing back!
@midgereader - Now, kids bands often made me cry, but I'm thinking it might have been for different reasons. I'm a choir person, too. I get where you're coming from there! I would have to say that I've probably had enough Irish traditional for a few lifetimes, lol! But I do tend to love it still. I haven't seen very many bands or live performances, in fact, so it's an incredible list you have there, to me! And, yes, I'm not music judgey. I have friends who swear by Billy Joel, and I wrote most of my Thranduil fanfics to EDM music. Lol! I think it takes all kinds!
The kids are in school bands and choirs so standard fare there but they still make me cry :) except for the jazz bands which are great - I am the least talented and by far most enthusiastic person in the house about it. What I get to see in person otherwise are the local folks who play at the bar at the time I can be there - some Irish traditional or aging rock n rollers. In my youth I saw Elton John, the Grateful Dead and Bruce Springsteen and later Billy Bragg. My favorite big name artists are Al Stewart who I have seen a couple of times in person, Liz Carroll the Irish fiddler, and hard work…
@Midgereader - I've never been able to be around huge crowds because I have the immune system of a child (read - I catch *everything*). But I can see why you'd miss the heck out of that! Can I ask what your favourite bands are? I wonder if our tastes are *vastly* different.
I miss live in person music - all the kids concerts, local pubs etc. I don't think I'll take it for granted again.