"There but for Fortune . . .

Go You or I, you or I." Last solo piece in Willie's Mole.

Half a collaborations for Mike in Willie's

I thought I would continue the theme I seem to be going with on Willie's of homelessness. If it goes too far, that hunger . . .

Pen and ink with watercolor, click to view a little larger.

(Later: I made a few changes on this, but don't feel like rescanning it--I worked on the lettering and the shading above the eyes etc.)

Homeless Shelter, for Willie's Pocket

In 1965, I "ran away" from home. I had just turned 19, dropped out of college, and was living with my parents when something bad happened to me. I didn't know what to do, so I left home and went down to live with a girl friend in NYC. We shared an apartment, but we got robbed several times and lost our jobs. She went home, but I stayed in the city, living as a homeless person on the streets. Everything I had was stolen, including my shoes. I had no where to stay and one of things I did was sleep--not on top of, but UNDER the park benches--I was afraid--and with good reason. I was afraid to sleep, ready to run if I needed to. I chose benches away from the main paths, with protective bushes. My life as a homeless person lasted off and on for several years. They were probably the worst years of my life.

I pasted a photo of my own face in the painting.

I am making a 4 x 6 print of this digital collage/smudge painting for Willie's pocket. (I mailed Andrea's Mole to Mike yesterday).

And here is another for WIllie's pocket:



This is my husband, who is also my model--for both art and photography. He was modeling a homeless person during the holiday season.

You can click on both of these images to see them larger.