I haven’t had time to make art this week because our son Andrew’s family has been visiting our family summer cottage in Vermont. Here’s Maggie, age 5, and Jasper, 9 months. Jasper was willing to sit on my lap for a few seconds, before he took off crawling across the grass to chase the doggie.
In my Apple newsfeed today is an article (link here) titled, “Could the Secret of Happiness Lie in Being More Grateful?” Then: “According to experts, the act of practicing gratitude (which goes way beyond just saying “thank you,” by the way!) has been shown to have myriad benefits for your mental and physical health—from increasing feelings of optimism and hope to strengthening your relationships, boosting immunity, and even improving sleep.” And: “Gratitude works to encourage recognition of the sources of goodness as being outside of the self. This requires an appreciation for the contributions of others and external events. In this way, it is an unselfish practice, as the focus of gratitude is on the world around us, on both people and activities—externalities—that are not ourselves.”
Ah, summer days.
The vantage point of this sketch — lifeguard large, figures small — was a conscious choice. I should have made the two buildings in the upper right lighter, more subdued colors to show they are in the distance.
Here’s hoping you have time this summer to relax and recharge!
