Unveiling

Last night Josh and I went to our first painting "unveiling." It was really cool. Our neighbor Ben McPherson is this amazing painter, who has done a series of Biblical pieces. The above appeared on the cover of the Ensign a while back after it won a church-wide competition. It was also featured on a This American Life TV show. Because of the dearth of bearded men in Provo, he rounds up homeless men to photograph for his paintings.

Anyway, we went to his studio last night, which is in the old Fur and Hide Building in south Provo (in fact, another neighbor--retired--had once worked there shaking out sheep hides, though he didn't last long he said due to the smell). Ben's newest painting was really spectacular with great contrasts and textures. The center figure was one of our friends from the ward (though she was aged significantly in the painting) holding her little girl.

As we were going home last night, I was thinking about how much I love our neighborhood, which is home to so many artists and so much diversity and history.