Hi Everyone,
It’s been a while. After our recent experience landing my husband in the hospital nearly 6 weeks ago, I’m planning to return to my studio soon.
Since he is still in the rehab unit, we anticipate him coming home in a couple of weeks, but will need my caretaking assistance for a while.
Recent Honors
While my husband was literally fighting for his life, he coded twice, I received the following two uplifting notifications.
1. The City of Marietta asked permission to use my Gazebo Painting on the front cover of their Summer Concert Series Programs in 2023. Of course, I agreed and I am very honored. I only now realized that I’ve not uploaded it due to all of the recent crisis.
2. My Painting titled “The Vortex” was accepted into the South Cobb Arts Alliance juried exhibition.
Becoming extra special after recent events, his Vortex painting was created during COVID while I was writing my first book. It’s meant to represent faith, hope, and encouragement during our deepest darkest moments.
Since I have a memory issue with remembering details from a scene, I often work from reference photos. Although it isn’t meant to be specific to my family, I had an idea and my husband helped pose his hand for me as my Mom snapped the photo of us. I was notified of this being accepted into the exhibition as my husband was fighting hard for his life. Who would’ve known in 2020 that this would take on even more meaning?
The opening of the event is August 27th at the Avenues in West Cobb, Marietta, Georgia, and runs through September 17th. I’ll post a schedule of the events soon.
Did you know I was recently voted Georgia Artist of the year?
After the exhibition starts, I jet off to New York City for the first time ever flying out the second week of September for the photo shoot and celebration. Since my husband will be getting home right around this time, I struggled with going. However, I can’t pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Thankfully, our 20 yr old son is here to help. If needed, we will get a nurse or another family member to help over those few days.
Next Up
When I return from New York, I plan to work on four things:
- Editing my book for republishing. (I’m focusing more on making it helpful and involving the reader more.
- Building online teaching courses
- Small works
- A Studio Sale
Although I’m not sure at what pace I will complete these tasks, they are in the works. It all depends on how things go with my husband.
Feel free to subscribe anytime to stay updated. Plus, subscribers get a 10% discount on my original paintings not marked for sale.
Staying Positive
The recent experience with my husband having a Type A dissection (70% of people don’t make it), a stroke, followed by sepsis was quite a mental strain. My strength was tested. What carried me through was focusing on the small positives, every little tiny bit of progress. Support from my friends and family was huge. I’m forever thankful. Of course, these recent honors helped a lot too.
Please, take care of your health. Due to our busy lifestyles, we were ordering out often. That is way too much sodium and fat. You just don’t realize it until you look into it or have a life threatening issue such as this. This has been the worst thing I’ve ever seen anyone go through, trumping my grandma’s struggle with cancer. I beg you to please take care of your health. Trust me, you don’t ever want to go through this.
Love and Light to all of you,
Tina Adams Stoffel
