Of Friends Parte Cinco

The nights are getting colder but the conversations are getting better. I'm not certain of any correlation going on here but that is just what has happened. Maybe it has to do with the anticipation of the season...the momentum gained from people returning and bringing back that visceral energy to a place we all call home or at least view as the closest thing to it.

It's finals week. I'm strangely calm but the stresses and accompanying strife will arrive soon enough. I'm looking forward to the end of the term, anxious about the next. I've been lucky to enjoy the company and education of art school; it has brought me into the company of some great characters and it has made the world a slightly smaller environment. It feeds my small wanderlust and more importantly it reminds me of the desire to see the world again with faith in the world. Maybe my personal legend is out there (another Alchemist invocation for self-aggrandizement).

On to today's friend. Luis Hernandez. He was one of the first people I met at art school. I kept running into him, whether it was at orientation, on the bus and eventually for each of our courses during our first term. Frankly, I thought he was emo-spectacular with his piercings, tattoos, cockroach killers and flaming head of hair. But you know what? Appearances aren't everything. Somehow we became good friends, helping each other with projects and just goofing off in general. Luis is an incredible talent with a great artistic background. I'm glad I ran into him first while in school because I gained a sense of how an artist goes about his work and his process. I haven't seen much of him this past year but I was lucky to assist him on a shoot some months ago. I think we both learned a lot from that...and I've found that Luis has a lot to give when it comes to inspiration.

You're a cool cat Hernandez!