Happy New Years all! Just wanted to do a quick wrap up of 2006. Wow, this fall was a wild ride. I didn't know if I'd make it to 2007, artist's life.... Saw the opening of BoMA the Bar of Modern Art in Oct and lost my sketch book on opening night. So many drawings of paintings and Go! Paintings are gone, a town of new architecture for the SW was also inside. Fell prey to an internet scam, went broke, lost old friends, stopped working at BoMA after 2 mo's due to a management change, and just as it got too dark...the light came in and the door opened. Have new work for January, family flew me to Philadelphia for Christmas, and 3 paintings sold. "City of Light, 2018 A.H. (after hatred), and Golf Pinball" to a collector of mine now. Felt so relieved and happy again. Felt the struggle was worth the wait. Booked a show with Q Bar for March and was able to buy all the supplies for it. Oh yeah, and gained my weight back and then had to get to the gym! Was happy to spend 5 days in Philadelphia. It is always bittersweet to visit my hometown. It is just such adynamic and liberal place that it is dizzing. I love all the murals and public Art, the city is a museum that is ALIVE. Miss it so much somedays, but also know we are where we are for a reason, and if that reason is my Art then that is great! But I am ready to leave the Midwest so only time and art sales will tell! And by the way, this New America going through the airports is ridiculous. On the way to Phila. the Columbus Intl. airport had all these terrorist warnings and propaganda over the loudspeakers. This after they took my hair gel because it was more than 3 oz. Words are very powerful and those announcements did make me feel afraid but there was nothing to be afraid of??? On the way back, I forgot to take off my belt and it was something, put through a cattle corral and then interrogated and almost physically violated and I did tell them, it is just my belt and their response was, you set off our metal detector... This is no America I grew up in. Can't wait until this age of terrorism ends and people realise 9 times out of 10 there is nothing to be afraid of. So I propose courage and saner media for a New Years Resolution for our wounded and misguided country. I long for the return of the U.S.A.

Happy New Years America,

Joshua 2007