Some of you may be wondering why no new artworks have been posted over the past week or so (other than the Sketch of the Week, that is).

You can blame it on the big, bad world. Truth is, I've still got plenty of artwork to post, and I'm trying really hard to get some new works finished, but this going to work 5 days a week, 8-10 hours a day, really keeps me from getting a lot done. First of all, I have to take photos of the works, which requires quite a bit of time for setting up... and then later finding out that most of the pictures are useless for posting (which happened with over 50 shots I took a few weeks ago). Then, I have to get them uploaded and cleaned up, then write about them. Most of which, I have to do after work hours on my office computer because my home computer is old and kind of creaky with its programs except for the word processing program which works fine... Well, anyway, it's time consuming.

Additionally, my left foot has been in a cast and I'm walking with a cane since March 30th, with no immediate signs of that ending, which has made getting out and about to draw and sketch incredibly awkward. And using a cane and wearing a cast is annoyingly tiring, so that a lot of times I get home and just want to have a cup of tea, eat something and lay down with my foot elevated and watch the latest episode of "House."

So, I'm working on it. I promise I will have more paintings up within the next week or so, and I will have a bit more to say on the job holding artist's life as well.

Stand By. Please be patient. In the meantime, a pastel drawing of an Irish Village:

Date: Unknown

Medium: Pastels on black construction paper

Dimensions: 8x10 unframed / 9x12 mounted

Comments: Another in a series of works I did while involved in competitions at the United Irish Counties Feises.

Status: For Sale $50 (framed)