Wednesday, June 22, 2016

WOOD ENGRAVERS NETWORK EXHIBITION

Carol and I returned from a road trip to the U.S. last Saturday afternoon. It took us three days to drive from Greeley Colorado to Red Deer Alberta. (That included an hour wait in line to get back across the Canadian border! Maybe there really ARE Americans wanting to escape the thought of "The Donald" as president.)

The first goal of the road trip was Missoula Montana where the Wood Engravers Network traveling exhibition was scheduled and we wanted to attend the opening and to visit our friends Jim and Julia Todd who live there. Jim is a superb wood engraver. He and I each have a wood engraving in the exhibition. The exhibition was held at one of the galleries at the University of Montana and I was very impressed with the presentation and quality of work chosen for the exhibition. There were wood engravings from members all over North America and Great Britain (maybe Europe too, but I can't remember. I'm awaiting the arrival of my copy of the exhibition catalogue).
Carol, Julia, Jim and I enjoyed music in the park. 


After a few more days enjoying the company of Jim and Julia, we headed south-east to visit some other very dear friends, Bill Starke and Judy Perry in Greeley. Bill is a former student of mine from many decades ago, when I taught at Metropolitan State College in Denver (now a university). Bill is now a very successful sculptor and they hosted us for a few days, during which I had my first experience getting in and out of a kayak with Bill's help (not an easy task for an old codger with arthritic joints).
We received a very unexpected welcome in Greeley.

Jim trying his hand at navigating the rapids.



MORE ABOUT ODDBALLS

A book-review website called bookgrabbr.com has ODDBALLS listed. Here's the link if you've read the book and want to express your opinion:

https://bookgrabbr.com/books/43081-oddballs