Spring?

It is almost May and the weather is still not as warm as we are used to. Cloudy days, some wind - granted sunshine in between, so can't complain too much. These white legs need some real sun.

The patio is finished in the courtyard by the store. We have purchased a variety of old metal lawn chairs, the kind you used to see in your grandmas front yard, the kind I like to add to my paintings. We brought the chairs to the store and painted them a variety of colors. People walking up aren't sure what to think of the place. We were going for a more soft and rich look in the store, yet outside it looks like a South American villa. It is Jerome afterall. People walk in and aren't sure what The Sage Post is about. They see the signs saying Vintage and New Books, Cigars, Coffee.... and people will either make the assumption it is a huge bookstore, a tobacco shop or a coffee shop - not all three with me tossed in the corner painting.

We have a new artist's works on our wall. Karen Green brought up her collages and altered books. They are very avant guarde with a strong hint of the feminine. Walking in to see a large vagina looking image will either scare or draw people. Most don't really see, as tourists are on overload when they come in. The crowds we know that will appreciate the work, we point it out to.

To add to the mystique of the store, Tracy and I have taken an interest in Mexican Catholic Folk Art. We have been making retablos, crosses and I have been painting saints. This really gets people questioning. The store is a collage in itself.

Our friend Alan Tabeck, who owns Spirit Art Gallery in Jerome, just took my paintings and hung them in his gallery. I feel quite honored and a little chagrined as I am a novice and his other works are so refined. Most of my work is in acrylic but I have been playing around with oil lately, especially in painting saints (flesh-tones). The paints blend nicer and have a richness in color and flow.

We gave our first Jeep tour a few days back, to friends granted - Karen and Anne. The Jerome history tour turned into the 'scary lesbian home' tour. "Watch out for her" and "Don't go there". Who knew we had so many in our town of 400. Some tour companies point out the homes of the stars, well in Jerome we have a different agenda. Karen isn't even gay but enjoyed the tour anyway as she has a great sense of humor.

The oddities never end in Jerome. Most aren't fit for print. Each day our friends call, what weird thing happened in Jerome today. From the view on our patio we can experience about all of them, whether it is passers-by or our own personal experience. Tracy has a blog she needs to get on as she will be the one to probably put it in print. Even omitting names still leaves obvious confessions of the parties involved as, afterall, it is a town of 400.