Western Art Week: Friends

One thing I love about doing art shows is the opportunity to see friends and to make friends. It's great speaking with people I don't know and getting to hear stories from them if we have the time to chat. But to see a familiar face in the crowd is like wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket!

There was one instance when I had been sitting for several minutes, drawing or writing something, and I looked up to make sure I wasn't ignoring anyone and I saw my friend and fellow MTWS member extraordinaire Margo Voermans walking toward me. I leaped off my chair and had a wonderful time catching up with her. She is going to be teaching a watercolor workshop in Missoula April 17 & 18 on abstract techniques. It sounds like it will be a fun spring workshop.

I also saw other people I've met before in Whitefish/Kalispell and also saw another MTWS board member. My friend Alger was in town for work to attend a conference. He owns a company on the east side of Glacier called Blackfeet Outfitters and gives guided fishing and hunting trips and jeep tours. He was such a nice friend and bought Amanda and I dinner from Chili's. Alger, you rock!

Amanda and Alger

However, the crown jewel of this post (and reason why I wrote it) is Amanda. She spent part of her vacation hanging out with me at Western Art Week. She helped me set up and take down the booth, watched my booth while I went to the bathroom or ate lunch/dinner, and shopped with me on the few chances I had. Gosh! She even made me lunch every day. She is a tremendous friend and I couldn't have done Western Art Week without her. Several summers ago she lived in Browning, MT while working at East Glacier. We took alternative way to Browning on the way home through a small town called Heart Butte. Driving from Heart Butte to Browning provided some incredible views...rolling hills with the sharp peaks of Glacier majestically rising behind. I sure enjoyed that little detour.