dallas buyers club + art

hello folks!

Here we are, another Sunday.

I don't know about you, but my weeks seem to fly by...

I got a bit of art done this week,
although very little.
Not sure whether it's the cold outside
or the busier days,
or the lack of focus in one place,
but i seem stuck in a dry spell lately.

So I've been spending some time clearing space.
Sorting out papers,
throwing things out,
organizing. 
We gather so much crap through the years,
don't we?

But this quick little painting
found its way into my studio one night...

I don't know anything about Marguerite Duras,
except that i liked her face -
that strong, "not a care in the world" look...
And i liked the way she sat here,
the way she held that cigarette,
the wine glass on the table...

i wanted a rough look,

no detail,

no normal colors,

because she somehow strikes me like someone

who doesn't do normal. 

Oh, and on another

completely different note...

we saw the movie THE DALLAS BUYERS CLUB last night,

based on the life of Ron Woodroof, 

who died of AIDS in 1992.

The movie was a little slow at times,

but i loved it and thought the acting was superb.

Not only were the actors dangerously thin,

as most AIDS victims were...

but the look in their eyes - that sickly, hopeless look.

I loved how Ron Woodroof was given 3 months to live,

and ended up living 7 years.

I don't understand people who are homophobic.

I never did.

I remember when the AIDS epidemic was as its peak,

and there was rarely a day

where we didn't read about someone else dying of AIDS...

and what i remember most about those days,

is this quilt.

This memorial quilt, in 1987, in Washington...

Every patch represented a person 

who had died of AIDS.

Someone's son.

Someone's friend.

Someone's father.

SOMEONE.

A person.

A human being.

We are too quick to pass judgement

on someone who chooses to live their life

different than ours -

we are quick to pass judgement

on someone who's values aren't pure, in our eyes.

And yet - if they are not hurting anyone,

what business of ours is it to judge?

It may not seem like a big deal today,

but 30 years ago,

when the whole world seemed against the gay community,

it took a lot of courage to be openly gay.

Sadly for some, it still does today.

I have nothing but admiration

for anyone with such love & courage in their hearts.

Trailer for the movie...