Home Sweet Home

      So this is perfect for my first blog entry... 

A bit behind because the show was last Friday and I've been working with someone on getting an official website up and a ton of other things always going on personally.

     It was time I shared my art on another level. Thought this would be great to share my insights, imagination, thoughts, frustrations, successes, and processes of my art. Maybe some video later this year. I was referred to this show through a connection and I was happy to do it, even though it was a donation which sometimes is hard financially for an artist trying to make ends meet. It was for a very good cause no doubt and sometimes I believe sacrifices like this benefit everyone involved.

     It was a feel good project on several levels. The project was headed by International Business Students Global / Kraye + Poetics Program in the University of New Mexico. Their goal was to allow the vision of artists/poets to explore the tragically marginalized in society. Kidrobot joined the efforts by donating 7 inch Munnys.  I would have loved to have done this sculpt as an original but I worked with the frame of the figure which was part of the requirement and made it work with the concepts I had in mind.

    So the story behind this is about a local homeless man who I gave a blanket to, amongst other things. It was a fleece mickey mouse blanket that belonged to my kids, now grown. Now this man is known by friends who pass him by on the daily for years on the way to work. Petite slim man, pleasant demeanor, not really one to beg for money but the group of friends give him a few dollars weekly and stop and chat to check on him. No one really knows his story, no one wants to pry. He's always happy and grateful for everything and anything anybody donates to him. Well, the blanket he fell in love with and wouldn't stop talking about it for weeks. Said it was his favorite thing, so soft and kept him warm and repeatedly kept thanking us for it. Everyone just looked at each other baffled. It would bring tears to our eyes. We that have so much more, yet find reasons to be unhappy or ungrateful for the blessings we have and yet this man that lives in the streets and was always content and thanked us as if he was given gold. Now, this happened way before I knew I would do this show. So when I was approached I initially was going to do something else and then I remembered the Mickey blanket and the old man and so Home Sweet Home was born. As I was working on this piece, words started to flood my mind and for a day or so I had to stop sculpting and create this poem before I lost it and just kept re-writing until it portrayed my feelings on this topic. So below are some pics of the sculpt along with the poem, which I framed and signed and was to be auctioned with the piece as a set. 

     I did get feedback from Dr. Montoya who said it resonated with many people and was enjoyed by the crowd. Hopefully they will eventually sell it so that it benefits the refugees struggling in their transition. Thanks for checking out this post and sharing in my art. -Liz

               

Home Sweet Home

One day

they will realize, that you are not as solid

as the brick walls protecting them

once erected by the strength, and

the courage of your vital force.

Standing tall, you stood for

all the descendants

of a common ancestor.

Those countless brutal winters

take their toll, even on Giants.

Unintended consequences ignored

your weathered mortar crumbling, but still holding together beats

Beating whispers, of

your afflicted conscious.

Your soles should speak

exposing stories, of horrifying sensibilities

our ears never seeping, the

screaming whispers we choose to ignore

details traveling to our senses

your eyes, confessing the particulars

deep inflection, the

mirrored reflection of humanity.

Bitter is he, when

all the sweetness of life is torn away

Misery obscures judgment, yet

we judge him

he sleeps with torment

blanketed by hunger on a crisp night, yet

we torment him.

Passing him we look away

truth be told, with disdain

when his hand reaches out

terror stricken, a reminder

that HE IS US at our worst, yet

he smiles warmly, a sweet token, that

the richness of home is in the heart.