For a friend

Wednesday 13. Charcoal.

Although I love making art, I went through a long dry spell. I go through similar spells with my writing and music. If I'm not feeling it, I can't do it. The art dry spell lasted about five years or so and I had thought I probably wouldn't want to draw again.

But then, I connected with Jen again.

Jen is a friend I had met in Florida a few years back. We were in the same line of work, kind of, and helped each other out a few times. We never really hung out much (the line of work we were in demanded most of our time) except for a dinner (and the flaming gay waiter) and a silly night at the HardRock (speed bumps at 50mph). But I always thought she was pretty cool. Before I moved up to Georgia, she moved to Pennsylvania. We lost touch for a while.

We have a mutual friend that had kept in touch with her. That mutual friend had asked me to check out some of Jen's artwork. I had no idea that Jen was an artist. So I checked it out. One word: Amazing! Watching her artwork evolve inspired me to pick up my pencils again. THANK YOU, JEN!

Crazy ex husbands, demanding work, and art aren't the only thing we have in common. She is recovering. She uses art to help her stay clean. I'm proud of her and all she has become. Jen is an amazing artist. Jen is a wonderful mother to a talented little girl. Best of all...Jen is sober! Nine months sober on the thirteenth of this month. And this drawing of Wednesday 13 was my gift to her...for encouragement and support in her sobriety. And for inspiring me to get back to something that I had no idea I missed so much.