July was a productive month in the studio. Second Sight was started and finished, along with major work on a large moody horse painting (tune in next month to see it finished), and finishing touches and work on a number of other paintings.

I have summer heat to thank for it.

For years, my summers meant packing up and driving east to our little lake cabin in northern Wisconsin where I grew up. RozieMay, our golden retriever and I would gather our art supplies and favorite stuffed toys, and of course the kayaks, and we'd head out together, with Tom usually joining us later in the season. RozieMay and I used to joke that we were like Thelma and Louise. The tame version -- no guns, no cliff, just two road-trippers headed for the water.

Finally the cross-country haul got to be too much, and last year, with heavy hearts and regrets, we sold the cabin. Now summer means California. Hot, dry, and primarily indoor-bound.

It turns out that's very good for output. When the studio is the coolest room in the house, the paintings pile up.

Lemons into lemonade.