If you draw, the world becomes more beautiful, far more beautiful. Trees that used to be just scrub suddenly reveal their form. Animals that were ugly make you see their beauty. If you then go for a walk, you’ll be amazed how different everything can look. Less and less is ugly if every day you recognize beautiful forms in ugliness and learn to love them.
~ Erich Ohser, aka E.O. Plauen, creator of the comic strip, “Father and Son”
I don’t know about you, but it’s easy for me to get caught up in my daily routine and forget to pause and look up, to see the beauty of the surrounding area. Even looking out from the art store’s window, I immediately see a parking lot and busy street – but a glance up reveals Hogsback, Perin’s Peak, and a (generally) gorgeous blue sky. We are surrounded by a beautiful landscape, but we still have to remember to pause and appreciate it.
- Bryan Collins – I was just introduced to Bryan’s work last week (whose Funky Fish is shown above) – aren’t his colors gorgeous? My personal focus is generally black-and-white mediums and I’ve only dabbled in colored pencils so these stunning pieces really jump out at me. If you need a splash of color in your day, be sure to check out his gallery.
- Let’s Paint the Town! I’ve been working with Local First, Kroeger’s Ace Hardware, and a team of local artists to paint a mural on the back of Ace. You may have noticed that the wall has been primed. We received the go-ahead from the city’s Design Committee and now it’s time to start painting. The wall is 18 feet tall and over 200 feet long, so there’s plenty of space for all of us. If you’d be interested in helping art-ify the city in a spot that will be visible from Main Street, the train tracks, and the alley behind Town Plaza, let me know. Reply to this email, call the Art Supply House or Local First, or generally reach out. Know someone who might be interested in slinging some paint? Please forward this email on to them.
- Have you been to the Durango Arts Center recently? I’m a fan of plein air painting and loved getting to see the current exhibit. Admission is always free and it’s definitely worth a stroll through to see where everyone’s been making art. Plus, one of the Art Supply House framers has a piece in there – just look for Howard’s cowboy hat!
Don’t forget to pause this week, and appreciate wherever you happen to be. Maybe it’s the mountain vistas off in the distance, the subtle colors in the rocks along the river path, how a nearby dog’s hair catches the light, or… something else! It’s an amazing world that we live in, and there’s always beauty to be found.
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Cheers!
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew