It’s hard to pin down exactly how Dusty and I got together. We met early on in our freshman year at North Georgia as art majors, but didn’t really connect until later.
Junior year, classes were canceled for a week because of a huge snowstorm. He lived in the apartment above with his brother and a couple friends. Nearly every store was closed, so we ended up sharing supplies. We even had a sledding competition on the giant hill that was the front yard to my apartment. (Old bean bag chair and cooking spray. Thank me later.)
But as I think about it, Dustin and I really fell in love in the studio. We just spent so much time there. After the snow storm, we got into this habit of helping each other with projects in the printmaking lab. We’d get there early and stay late. Sometimes working on our own things quietly, but we’d often work together on projects.
Printmaking is one of the more process-based art forms. There is a lot of technique to learn. There’s a lot of prep work. You have to be exact and alignment and timing are key. There is room for play and experimentation, but after that there is a stage of production.
I love that time. It’s when my mind rests. It’s how I deal with change and think through big aspects of life. There is nothing like the sound and smell of freshly rolled ink on glass or a fine tuning of the senses as the pressure of the press bed is adjusted. Unlike most activities in this world, there’s a distinct time for quiet.
My whole world changed when I found someone to share this time with. We are about to embark on an incredible journey. From studio mates to mates for life. Here we go.