Sunday 8/18/24

August 18, 2024

On Sundays I reflect.

I didn’t drink alcohol this week. I almost didn’t even think about drinking this week besides on a first date for a brief instant. It’s better when l don’t drink.

I drove a lot this week. One morning I had to be at the Ritz Carlton in Lionshead before 5am. Being early, I took a stroll through the lobby to see if they still had my work on display. To my surprise, over five years have passed and my installation is still being shown in the lobby hallways.

It was such a proud moment for me. It reminded me that despite how challenging things have been lately for our scene there are always other avenues to keep the vision alive. I’m definitely thinking about interior design again.

Ultimately this week there was only one thing that mattered to me. My childhood friend Michelle shared the album she wrote with Coleen with us on top of Vail this Wednesday. The girls have been writing this album since last summer and finally got to play their songs for an audience.

Michelle and I grew up together at Temple, in youth group, and at summer camp. She’s two years older than me and was one of my closest friends growing up. When we were kids we played music together. That was probably the core of our friendship.

At one point almost a decade ago I was wayward and unsure what my next move would be. Michelle and her husband Seth invited me to visit Vail. I was living in Fort Collins at the time. It was on that visit that Seth proposed I build my own studio here in the mountains. Michelle and Seth invited me to live in their home, and a year later financed my studio.

It’s hard to imagine people believing in me to such a degree, especially at that time in my life. My gratitude will never expire.

So I got to town at 8am Wednesday and spent the day helping in any way I could. It felt amazing to be able to start to return the favor by helping Michelle bring her own vision to life. This is her first album of original work and the songs are beautiful.

Congratulations to Michelle and Coleen and the other musicians involved in both recording and performing. I’m so proud of you all.

When I was a kid playing music with Michelle I thought music was my path. This was before I found glass and for a time I pursued both at a serious level. At some point music fell to the wayside although I do sometimes pick up my guitar or bass and play a few things. That’s a very rare occasion these days.

I made a few things on the torch this week. It felt good to make some time for that.

Today I’ll be showing some work down in Evergreen at Ubatuba’s open house. I just finished my chores and now I’m preparing to head down the hill.

We booked a few classes this week and one of our students was a prolific painter. When we got to talking, I discovered that my cousins in Palm Springs actually commissioned two works from this painter for their home. Among other studies, the painter has a series of paintings of their take on still life of glass. It was so interesting to talk with her about her work and how it relates to our work.

Stan and Matty B will be at the Vail Market today and though I often say I’m not a market man, I will miss spending the day with them away from the studio. It’s been a nice thing this summer even if I have to wake up too early for my liking.

So now I need to hit the road but as always I wish I could share more here with you.

Thanks for tuning in,