Home Show

It's catch up time for the year. In January and February I was in a group show with many exceptional fellow artists and friends. Our artist 'support' group exhibited at the Fort Lewis College Fine Art Gallery, displaying pieces we created based on the theme of home. "Home" included works by Katherine Leiner, Judy Austin, Tirzah Camacho, Mary Ellen Long, Amy Wendland, Louise Grunewald, Kris Hill, Linda Robinson, Terry Hobbs, Deborah Gorton, Chyako Hashimoto, Judith Reynolds, Christina Erteszek, Judy Brey, Barb Klema and Ilze Aviks. It was wonderful being involved in a show with artists which incorporated the written word, dance and a variety of visual media. Live performances were the highlight of the opening reception, truly making it a "happening."

An interesting exchange occurred at Durango Coffee Company while I was creating more sketches for my exhibit at Pure Soul (see 12/1/2007 post). I was sketching a man who was obviously homeless and who looked like he hadn't had a bath in a couple months. It was extremely cold that morning and I was sure he was savoring the warmth. He was methodically pulling paper after paper out of an old, warn duffel bag, carefully smoothing out each page, giving it a quick glance, and adding it to a growing stack beside him. As I started sketching his face, he looked up at me, I smiled, and he responded with a less than friendly stare. I figured my drawing time was limited, so I quickly worked the sketch. After a few minutes went by, the man placed the last paper on a pile about 10 inches high, picked up his duffel and started for the door. As he walked past my table, I asked him if he found what he was looking for. He angrily snapped at me "What are YOU looking for?!" and headed out the door. That sure got me thinking.

For almost two years now, Paul and I have been looking for a new home that would allow us each ample studio space, as our house in downtown Durango is too small for our needs. It's been a rough couple years and we still have nothing to show for our efforts. Our searching and selling attempts have taken up too much of our time and have caused a lot of personal stress, which is the main reason I have not been very productive creatively since early 2006. My contribution to the "Home" exhibit was this piece, appropriately titled "What are you looking for?"