“Every artist writes his own autobiography.“~ Havelock Ellis
Welcome to 2026
Being in the Now—
Even on a Scrap of Paper
A Place to Go While Staying Home—Bill Hendricks/Shadowmason
I’m starting the year with this little drawing simply because it makes me smile. I like the strange little world that showed up here — a figure with its arms thrown up like, “Okay, universe, let’s celebrate,” a Ferris-wheel-looking thing, balloons, suns, and those chunky little bug-stick people bobbing around, just enjoying and being present.
Nothing in this really makes sense, but it feels playful and relaxed. I love the variation in the lines and how loose it is. It’s not careful or perfect — it just… happened, while I let my hand wander. In its own quirky way, that feels like “living in the now”: not overthinking, not polishing, just letting something exist because it wants to.
I’m guessing that’s a pretty good way to walk into 2026.
I’m a Minneapolis-based artist working in watercolor, gouache, oil, drawing, and mixed media.
After teaching art and design for many years, I returned to making art fully. These days, I spend my time drawing, painting, experimenting, and paying attention to what shows up.
I often work small. My work moves between observation, memory, and imagination. Some pieces lean surreal. Some stay close to what is seen. What interests me is what begins to emerge when I stay with the work long enough.
On my blog, you’ll find both my artwork and my reflections. I’ve come to see they are connected. What I learn in the studio often changes how I see my life, my relationships, and my community. In that way, art has become more than making objects — it has become a way of understanding and being in the world.
View all posts by Bill Hendricks -- Shadowmason
One thought on “Welcome to 2026”
A place to go, I like that, and I like the little scrap of paper art,
Margie
A place to go, I like that, and I like the little scrap of paper art,
Margie