Note from Bill Canright. You can see that I have not changed this partner blog to reflect Maggie's passing. It is not my intention to be misleading but rather to encourage you to pursue the entire blog as most of it was written by Maggie. You will be glad to know that we have partially updated her gallery pages to include many new works, eliminate sold pieces, and add prices and an easy way to purchase paintings by my email.

Many have asked me how Maggie managed to accomplish so much...here is part of the answer. For the last ten or more years, this inspirational philosophy was printed in large type and posted where Maggie would see it every day:

"...Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:

'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.'"

–W.H Murray 

"Death is nothing at all"

On Saturday, August 31, a group of around 50 friends gathered for a "closing" party. It was the last day for the Best of Maggie Price, a gallery exhibition showing sixty of her pastels and oils. At noon we raised our glasses to Maggie--a fine artist, loyal friend, mentor, mother, sister and loved and loving wife. Before proposing the toast the following poem by Henry Scott Holland was read:

Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away to the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
That, we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone.
Wear no air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you.
For an interval.
Somewhere. Very near.
Just around the corner.

All is well.

Don't be surprised if this brought tears to your eyes. It certainly did for me, but they are much closer to tears of joy than any I have shed since her passing. I have been fortunate in receiving numerous messages from Maggie since she left and they were all upbeat, one liners, like "laugh a lot" saying essentially everything in the poem. These thoughts--no, these facts--have taken me from wishing I was dead to getting on with life and looking forward to a joyful reunion with the one whose ring I will wear until I slip away to that next room.

This poem is something everyone who has lost or will lose a dear one should keep and remember.

Don't miss the boat

I realize that Painting Partners hasn't been doing much painting lately. One partner, Maggie Price has passed on and the other, Bill Canright has been too busy with the incredible number of things a surviving spouse has to deal with and feeling too much grief to be in the mood to paint.
However there is so much you may have missed, if like me, you were unaware of the way this type of blog works. I didn't know until recently that this blog has dozens of entries going back to 2009. Just click on the blue "more blogs" at the end of this batch.

Her daughter, Amy has taken up pastel painting and may soon be adding her beginner's insights to this partnership.

An explanation to our readers

Her daughter and I, her husband, have promised to keep Maggie's web site active, and we definitely will do so. The demands and emotional overload caused by her death have kept us from accomplishing much. Parts of the site are things only Maggie could do, but we will be presenting a lot of interesting material from her files in the workshop reviews and greatly expanding her gallery pages with options to purchase. I have found great difficulty contemplating painting things that I will not be able to show to her and get her suggestions. But I WILL get back to painting and will follow her lead in discussing particular works in the Painting Partners. The graphics will change, but the title will not, as my painting is and always will be partly the result of a partnership that continues in a quiet way.
Bill Canright, PSA, IAPS/MC, PSNM

Nice things are happening

I am happy to report that a number of very nice things are developing to honor and remember Maggie. The International Association of Pastel Societies has founded a perpetual award, the Maggie Price Award of Excellence. Donations are pouring in. You can learn more about it on www.pastelinternational.com. The Pastel Journal will run a feature in the next issue. It is also covered in Plein Air’s web site. The Pastel Society of America sent an excellent announcement to their entire membership. PSA used a photo by Brenda Matson which I will add with this blog.

And last but not least, I am working with the New Mexico Art League to hang a 50+ show, “The Best of Maggie Price.”

I am also happy to report that the bitterness, anger and questioning...why?  why? that my earlier posting reflected, has gone away. Mostly. Now it’s just the constant ache of missing her. I cannot answer the question why she died when she was living such a useful life. I leave the question to the  will of God, with faith. However this is not blind faith for there is certainly Divine Wisdom underlying the event. Some refer to her death as a loss, as it certainly is. But the loss is temporary and she is not LOST to me. The love bond that brought us together, and kept us together is still very real and will take us together again.

By the completion of the show and IAPS convention in mid June I expect to have this site updated throughout and will be adding many new paintings to her galleries. We made very little effort to market our work because we were very busy with workshops, travel, writing and business details. As a result there is a large collection of her recent work still available. Final assembly on this site will be done as soon as the show is over in mid June. Direct purchases will be possible on the site.