Flagstaff

Story Summary

Flagstaff was created after conversations at Late for the Train and a walk through downtown that revealed classic cars, local stories, and mountain stillness. Layers of paint, words, and subtle imagery nod to ponderosa pines, lingering time, and the unique rhythm of this high-desert town. This creation invites you to slow your pace, notice everyday wonder, and remember how community, curiosity, and shared stories quietly shape the places we call home, which we too often overlook.

Story

I met with Aysia from Late for the Train on August 22nd before I was going to install my art in October. I wanted to understand more about the community that I was enjoying spending time with as I was looking to escape the Tempe heat during the summer. I was also VERY excited to get out of my house after quarantine, or as I referred to it, “it’s not a quarantine...it’s a “chrysalis.” Through our masks, I shared with her how welcoming my trips to Flagstaff had been. I shared a story I had of one car guy to another. The night before, while walking back from dinner with a friend, I saw a right drive Mazda RX-7 parked on the street. It’s rare and mentioned how the car was imported after it had been driven for years on the streets of Japan. After so many years, it could be sold to the United States after it goes through US emissions standards. The guy who owned it happened to overhear me say it as he and his friend were working up to his car. We ended up talking about cars and Flagstaff and other things for well over a half an hour. Shortly after that, my friend and I were walking further down the street and there was some activity on the corner. We asked “what happened?” and another local resident gave us the play by play account. After the conversation, we both said “people are so friendly here.” People have time for people. That is why I wanted to highlight that on the piece and I included that phrase in the top right corner. As I created the piece from my notes, I knew the piece would be called Flagstaff and as I started drawing out more, it looked like an arizona license plate so I went with it. I added the “ARIZONA” at the top and because it’s Flagstaff, instead of the cactus normally shown on the plate, I included a ponderosa pine. During a few of the treatments, “Have Time” and “Flagstaff” subtly showed through the piece. Upon the final treatment, Flagstaff and Have Time were covered up and still very much present. I had a lot of fun creating this subliminal story art and have included 4 treatments to help me accomplish the layers underneath it. Enjoy Flagstaff!

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