liverpool exchange.

I went camping this last weekend with a group from Liverpool that came to BYU for a book arts exchange. I was asked to write my thoughts about our camping trip together to post on their blog (I will post that link when I get it):

I overheard a conversation as I sat sketching in the cold air at the base of Calf Creek Falls.

"This sort of stuff; realistic sketches; they're mostly just for fun. They help me clear my head...I like to do more conceptual pieces."

Caroline, from Liverpool, just asked my professor, Joe Ostraff about his artwork. I found myself wanting to blurt out my own responses in place of his own modesty:

"The fact that you are here is proof of Joe's artwork!" (I said it out loud only the friend seated beside me.)

I can't think of a better way to put it. I consider Joe to be more an organizer of people than a painter. His projects mostly involve placing people in situations where they can share their own sories and listen to those of others. I esteem his art with the highest respect.(If only he had a website I could link you to here; I regret that he doesn't have one.)

I believe that the best art is educational, helps you question your own beliefs and way of of life, leads you to consider the beliefs and lives of others, and/or helps you further appreciate the beauty of the most basic things around you.

I've experienced all of this during the Liverpool exchange. The redrock cliffs, my ease with breathing at high altitudes, my body's natural adjustment to the desert heat, the religion I practice on a daily basis, and the accent with which I speak my native language all began to feel exotic in the company of my British camping companions.

Having never traveled to England, it's been educational to see others celebrate their own places of origin and to discuss and imagine their own trajectories. Exploring both our similarities and differences help me to see outside myself and remember that millions of others share this world in their own, very real experiences.

my sketch: