Oils and Pastels by Margaret Dyer

So I never did get my cat into the cat carrier. But I can't blame it on her. The fact is I never tried. I got distracted, had to go to lunch to celebrate my sister Catherine's birthday. Then I had to watch 8 episodes of Mindhunter. Molly will go to the vet tomorrow. It's OK, it's not urgent.

I have just finished teaching my last workshop of the year. Actually the last two. Several months ago, in some distorted state of mind, I scheduled two workshops back to back. New Jersey and Alabama. What was I thinking? I wistfully watched the Manhattan skyline grow more and more distant out the back window of my uber ride from Newark airport to t he New Jersey home where the workshop would be held. I wished I had planned better...New York City. In November. Glittering and glowing Christmas decorations. Magical store windows. I haven't seen New York at Christmas time since I was 8 years old. I should kick myself. But it was wonderful getting to know Christina Debarry (President Emeritus of the Pastel Society of America, Vice-President of the Allied Artists of America), at whose home I taught and slept. And I loved spending 3 days with 17 lovely artists from the Pastel Society of New Jersey . We hired beautiful Melina to pose for a day while we painted from life, and we s...