Welcome to 2022 at Rural Pearl. My motto for the year is SOFTEN.. find more joy, nature, connection, and less letting the world chip away at my shoulders. Become a light, for myself and others. Follow my truth, have more boundaries, live and love more… and blog more. Seek out inspiration more often. Look for the beauty around us instead of being constantly bombarded by all that is wrong with the world, and record it here. Thanks for being here.
A little Sunday drive to Clinton Lake, Lawrence, KS, to take in some fresh country air…
Happy 2015! I spent the first afternoon of the new year driving around in the country taking pictures. I happened upon some juvenile bald eagles – these two were particularly eye catching with their game of tag above my head. There were 7 altogether, and a short while later I spotted a couple adult bald eagles in the vicinity.
I’ve made many resolutions (which, to be honest, I do monthly, and I’m not sure they ever stick, but I try). I’ll keep them to myself so you’ll never know if I failed or not! Lots of neat things in store on my end this year: I’ve got some exciting animation work underway, plus an exhibit coming up next month at the Carriage Factory Art Gallery in Newton, KS. My first art fair acceptance letter came in from the Des Moines Summer Arts Festival which was one of my best shows in the last year I did it. I also signed up for my first half marathon so that will have me doing lots of running (which I love to do, but often find time related work excuses not to). Many more things will come up I’m sure and I’ll share them here.
By the way, I definitely haven’t been keeping up on my blogging (that time thing…), and there are now so many social media options that its hard to keep them all maintained. I have been utilizing Instagram lately (since I finally figured out how to use it). That’s kind of fun, being a person who loves to look at pictures. You can find me at http://instagram.com/angiepickman/. And of course, I try to keep my facebook page updated as well: https://www.facebook.com/cutpaperart.
My best wishes to you all in the new year. Thanks for following along!
I spent part of the day Saturday at the McDowell Sonoran Nature Preserve near Scottsdale, AZ. More photos to come. This was my favorite.
The last week has been a whirlwind getting ready for my solo exhibit at the Leedy-Voulkos Arts Center in Kansas City. The opening was Friday night. Thanks to all who came! And I’m sorry if I missed you! I had friends exhibiting at other galleries in the Crossroads for First Friday and I wandered off a couple times to check those out. A few pics to come. And here’s some from Saturday – an afternoon nature excursion before fall turns into winter.
The last week has really been amazing. I was a visiting artist Thursday and Friday at an elementary school in Branson, MO, and got to hang out with ~500 amazing kids. Plus, I was in Branson! That in itself is a trip. Ripley’s Believe It or Not.. Branson Landing.. Fun times. Saturday morning was spent about an hour South in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Such a pretty little town. It’s a little overwhelming when all the other tourists show up, but fun nonetheless. Saturday evening I returned home to catch the Leo Kottke concert at the Lied Center. Amazing as expected. Sunday, some friends and I took our kayaks and canoes to the Wakarusa River west of Clinton Lake (which is basically the Wakarusa dammed – and it flows into the Kansas River east of Clinton Lake). We wanted to catch the fall foliage before it fell off. It was totally beautiful and scenic and fun…
I especially love running along the river levee in October. The temps are perfect and the sights dreamy – such as this morning: fog rolling along the fields while sunlit dew turned everything to crystal as the morning light rays filtered through the turning leaves on the trees.
To help celebrate my friend Rudy’s birthday, a few of us packed up our camping gear, running shoes, and birthday candles for the Hell Creek on Heels 5k trail race at the Switchgrass Mountain Biking Trail at Wilson Lake State Park, near Wilson, KS. The race was on Sunday morning, so we spent the day Saturday looking around, frolicking in Wilson Lake, eating, etc. Being a light sleeper, all the night animals kept me entertained most of the sleeping portion of the night Saturday, especially a pack of coyotes that sounded like I could reach out of my tent and pet one.. A little unnerving, but I was more appreciative than worried, all things considered. It was pretty neat. The race started at 8am Saturday and it was certainly unlike any running I’ve done before – through the hills of the park on rocky terrain – lots of climbing up and jumping down and not trying to face plant or twist an ankle on some rock jutting out. The scenery was unbelievable with perfect vistas from every angle and the weather was perfect. I’d have stopped in the middle to photograph the sights had I not been trying to at least not come in last. I managed to come in 4th (women’s category). My friends Rudy and Emily both got 1st place in the men’s & women’s categories, Rudy timing in at the same time as the overall course record holder. Not a bad birthday surprise I’m sure. We ended our adventure in Wilson, KS, at a buffet before heading home..
I’ve tied up my laces and taken to the trails once again on the Kansas River levee. Working on getting up to par for a 5k trail run in central Kansas next month. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone running consistently because of my crazy summer schedule, but it sure feels good to be back out there. I think it keeps me sane (though I’m sure others would disagree). And there’s always neat things to see. Here’s a couple finds from this morning:
My summer schedule has pretty much come to an end and now I’m catching up on all my email and a zillion other things that fell to the wayside while I was on the road. One thing I haven’t done in awhile that I used to do ALL the time is get out on some local rural roads with my camera. I didn’t have much time out there and the corn is so high right now that there’s not a whole lot to see past it, but it was a good time nonetheless. 
