Lately, the increasing requirements for more “rugged individualism” has left me aching for community. As we seemingly race faster and faster to places where we don’t have to account for how we treat each other, I find myself steadfast in the attempt to push beyond my current difficulties (being social, acting like I have a clue in social situations, not making “that face”) so I can feel one with a community again.
I’m ok if you don’t like me or my ideas or my politics or my insistences or my hills marked for death… I’ll keep coming and participating painstakingly as long as I’m invited. Just know, I’m struggling just beyond that scripted smile and I like and dislike no one. I love everyone. If you ask me to do something for you, I will. I wont do all the work for you, but I’ll participate when I’m asked. 100% (no application fees though, I’m too poor).
Brush on the Bluff is one of those events for me. Ava and Sarah have invited me to make art with my friends on the Bluff by Polly Judd Park every May for the last 4 years and I happily clear two weeks of my life to be there. It’s fun and I’ve learned to talk to a variety of people that aren’t exclusively getting married or having a baby or selling a house (not that I don’t enjoy talking about those things. I just might enjoy them too much). I get to come excited and leave inspired. I look forward to it and the wonderful adventures and challenges it brings me every spring.
Year 1- watercolor on cold press paper, ~20 hours
I also really look forward to seeing the art. This year I had quite a few accidents at the beginning of the day and then another at the end of the event that kept me from being able to go very far (I am such a klutz) but I have to say to all of my fellow art makers that attended Brush on the Bluff, WHAT GORGEOUS WORK!! I’m just blown away by everything. Four years have passed and the Spokane Art community has truly blossomed into a sophisticated cohort of truly talented art makers. I’m still glued to my social media accounts waiting to see everything… it’s all so beautiful and I’m so honored to have my work sit alongside it all.
Year 2- watercolor on cold press paper, 38 hours
Also, FINALLY a year without extreme weather. 1 out of 5 ya’ll (I have only attended the last 4)!! Even though I am sure most of us were triple prepared for some insane weather, just from previous years’ experience. We’ve had downpours, crazy winds, insane heat and one year where the weather let us have our time making art. It was such lovely day from start to finish; whoever called the weather guy and arranged that, I thank you.
Year 3- Alcohol marker and ink on hot press paper, 45 hours
The unpredictability of the weather, the conversation, the opportunity to come together with your art community, Feast World Kitchen Boa Buns, the fantastically brilliant volunteers (thank you again for that coffee Anna), the flowers dotting the hillside, the view, the new friends, the old friends… Brush on the Bluff is by far my favorite Spokane event and if you haven’t come out to one yet, you aren’t doing Spokane art right.
It’s free, it’s fun, it’s self-directed so come for 10 minutes or come for hours and you’ll leave inspired; it’s organized by people who love art and the community and any labor of love that aims to bring people together is an admirable one worth coming to.
Year 4- acrylic on canvas, 7 hours.
That desire to pull further and further away from people is just fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of failure. Fear of being seen but not heard or heard and not seen. We don’t have to be so afraid, we don’t have to be so alone. We can make art together. It’s really, really fun and I’ve never been happier making myself so uncomfortable. I promise, I’ll never tell you I like your art if I don’t… but there’s rarely art I don’t like.
Happy Spring!
Kel