Sabbatical: a time of rest, a break from routine, a metaphorical observance of Sabbath - the day of rest - in one's life. Time off. In ancient Judea, every seventh year, the land itself was left to rest.

For seven years now, I've been connected in one way or another with The Episcopal Church & Visual Arts: as a member, exhibiting artist, curator, and most recently, Director of Communications. People are generally quite surprised to learn that it's a volunteer position, as are all at ECVA - work done in off hours (at least theoretically). It's a highway-speed job, and I've been running in fourth gear for a while now. A quiet walk on the beach made me realize it was time to pull off at the nearest scenic overlook, stop the car, roll down the windows, and look around. I've now embarked on a sabbatical.

I'll still be posting random musings in the "Making Art" section of the ECVA Sketchbook - something I haven't had time for in months. Meanwhile, the car is garaged, and I'll be walking slowly down a country lane. I'm looking forward to quiet, calm, and more time for painting.