Portrait of a Matriarch at Sunset Laura was hoping to inspire me by exploring her own artistic abilities. Even though I'd graduated from college with a BA in Studio Art/Art History, after I came to Arizona with Laura, I hadn't done a speck of art, other than that one horrid drawing of Laura she hated. Anyway, she felt bad I wasn't doing art any more. She knew the best way to inspire me. You can tell we were both working form the same issue of Arizona Highways, which featured a lovely photo piece about Hopi Native Americans. We both drew the same lady, but from two different photos of her: Looking Towards the Light When she put her drawing up on the web, she wasted no time in making it a didactic effort, this time explaining about Native people's honoring of the 'third gender'. The following is Laura's words, just as she wrote them: "Gender diverse people were honored, held sacred in over 150 tribes, by the native people of America, from Alaska to Argentina. These native people, called savages by the barbaric invading forces from Europe, in some ways were more socially advanced than those who conquered them. Living in a harsh environment we, humans, quickly discover there are no throw away people. Everyone is useful, everyone has talents, skills, and abilities to be encouraged and developed. When I drew this picture I could not help but think of the traditions of Native Americans and feel a certain gratitude, and not a little sadness. How different the world would be if the invaders had been willing to approach the natives as friends and neighbors? "Beginning to understand the use of hard colored pencils and soft colored pencils, also using masking tape to take color off and create highlights. The hair is accomplished by adding layer on layer, hair by hair, and finally burnished with a light grey and white.If you've been staying with me, developing your own artistic skills, you will note the immense improvement in only three weeks. In another three weeks I expect my art to really come alive and so can yours."