PAID TO WANDER


Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Reprise- 37 Years Later

Once upon a time- way back in 1981- two budding artists had an art show and sale. Centered in and around the town of Crestone, Colorado we featured not only the centuries old log dwellings but the towering Sangre de Cristo mountains that rise immediately to the east of the village. The shot above  is me on the left and Roger Williams on the right in Willow Park critiquing a newly minted plein air painting

Thirty seven years later, we decided to do another show together. Although we had shown together in various shows and ensembles before, this is our second exclusive dual show. It is ongoing until July 31, 2018 at the Copper Moon Gallery in Taos, New Mexico.
Here we are painting on location near Roger's home of 30 years in Santa Fe this year. We are thankful to be still be able to stand at an easel after all these years. 

Events like this give me pause to reflect on how in the youth of my twenties I gave little thought to maturity or how life would unfold. Or which of my relationships would continue into "retirement age." (Painters do not retire- as long as the hand can hold a brush- paint will be laid on canvas.) Roger and I have been friends for decades starting in high school. After we both went to university, we ended up back in Alamosa and we forged a mutual strategy to prosper in the arts and music- a Utopian dream of the post-hippie age. 

We combined marketing fine art with live performance- both of us being musicians,  thinking that we could cobble together successes from both venues. We made wonderful music, playing contemporary tunes in local lounges with bass player and vocalist Robbie Painter. When the music clicks and the harmonies are pure- there is nothing like it.

The two man show in Crestone was part of that strategy as well. I think it's safe to say that our art styles, media and methods were still being formed- and continue forming as I write.

Over the decades we have evolved as artists- and human beings. As we have checked in with each other over the years I am grateful that we both approach our art with grace, intent for higher purpose and a sincere spirituality that imbues our creations. 

If you get a chance to see our show of over two dozen paintings you will witness the culmination of over 80 years of painting- and living- experience! 

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