Nostalgia in Denver

Going to Colorado, where I grew up, is always filled with such strange feelings for me. I would say going "back home," but it just doesn't feel like home anymore. I had a perfectly good childhood, but for some reason I don't feel connected to the place I grew up in a way that so many other people seem to. Still, I get to drive (or be driven) from one city to the next to visit my family, and hopefully catch up with some old friends from high school (and even middle school!), and that is always good.

Eleven days is a long time to be away from home, and away from work, especially when you work for yourself, so I've been trying to find ways to weave part of my vacation into my work. I'm taking lots of pictures, re-visiting places I used to go (the ones that are still there!), journalling and sketching inspiration for new paintings (a new series??). When I have some down time to myself, I'm brainstorming blog ideas and going online to check out venues to apply to show my work.

All in all, it's a lot less work than I would have done had I been home this whole time, but it IS a vacation, right? ;)

Vacation!

Ah...vacation :) Indigo and I woke up in the wee hours of Tuesday morning and flew to Denver, where I grew up. It has been quite the whirlwind trip since them, running around with my mom and Oma (grandma), and my aunt who is also visiting. Tomorrow we're driving up to the mountains to visit my dad for a few days, and we're also squeezing in some extra time with my brother, his girlfriend, and my niece, as well as my ex-stepmom. Somehow between all of this family I am also managing to keep my business afloat, checking emails and even shipping supplies, PLUS catching up with old friends!

It all sounds a bit crazy, but I have also managed to sneak in some naps (something I can only seem to do on vacation--normally I can't fall asleep in the afternoon even if I'm tired) and lots of time reading. Now I'm at a local coffee house, about a block away from one of the gazillions of apartments I lived in before I jumped ship for Portland almost 12 years ago.

It is strange, coming back to the place where I grew up. Even though I've been back to visit many times, it feels less like home every time I come here. I am in touch with less people, old businesses have disappeared, the face of the city is constantly changing. More so, my memory has distorted itself. I can't remember names of streets or where they are located, but I give directions to my mom to a post office that I maybe used 5 times in my whole life. I feel odd, comfortable and out of place at the same time. Still, it is good to be back.

Portraits make great presents!

One of my very best friends, Katie, got married recently. Though she is a couple years younger than me, we went to high school together in Denver, and moved to Portland together over a decade ago. (!) As I sifted through her wedding registry, looking at all of the dinnerware and towels, I thought, these are all really nice, and I know she wants them, but she and I have been through way too much together for me to just buy her a cup or a toaster and feel good about it. So instead I dug out all of my photos and found a very cute (albeit dark--it was taken in a bar) pic of them, and painted their portrait. I just finished it this morning, and I am soooo exited to give it to them! It's not a complete surprise--I didn't tell her EXACTLY what it was, but I did have to email her (embarassingly) to make sure I got their eye color right. It is acrylic paint on paper--I'm going to mount it on wood before I give it to them. I hope they like it!