How to Murder a Mouse

What was the Greater Being thinking when he created mice? That’s one of Harvey’s Big Questions. Like why did he also create birds of prey and snakes and all those other creatures that eat mice. And then, there’s mousetraps and poison. How many ways does he need to kill mice? When a question keeps Harvey awake at night, he climbs to the fifth floor of their little enclave and sits at Sidney’s feet. Sidney has been eating pages out of the books left in the library by the Greater Being. Says he reads the words on the page when the print crosses his tongue. Harvey is the Informed Mouse of their little clan. An Informed Mouse that keeps order and finds food. But Sidney, he’s a prophet, or so he says. When Harvey has questions concerning life and death situations, he asks Sidney his Big Question. Sidney will push up his beret, take a deep breath and spout an answer. Like: the Greater Being wasn’t thinking when he created mice. He had other things on his mind and mice stepped through the crack. What if it’s true? What Sidney doesn’t know, and Harvey didn’t find out until it was almost too late, is asking Big Questions opens doors. Big Doors. Doors so big it’s terrifying to walk through. But Harvey wants answers.

What was the Greater Being thinking when he created mice? That’s one of Harvey’s Big Questions. Like why did he also create birds of prey and snakes and all those other creatures that eat mice. And then, there’s mousetraps and poison. How many ways does he need to kill mice? When a question keeps Harvey awake at night, he climbs to the fifth floor of their little enclave and sits at Sidney’s feet. Sidney has been eating pages out of the books left in the library by the Greater Being. Says he reads the words on the page when the print crosses his tongue. Harvey is the Informed Mouse of their little clan. An Informed Mouse that keeps order and finds food. But Sidney, he’s a prophet, or so he says. When Harvey has questions concerning life and death situations, he asks Sidney his Big Question. Sidney will push up his beret, take a deep breath and spout an answer. Like: the Greater Being wasn’t thinking when he created mice. He had other things on his mind and mice stepped through the crack. What if it’s true? What Sidney doesn’t know, and Harvey didn’t find out until it was almost too late, is asking Big Questions opens doors. Big Doors. Doors so big it’s terrifying to walk through. But Harvey wants answers.

Growing up in the mountains of Colorado I was inspired daily by the beauty of the ever-changing mountains scenes—the sunsets, the shadows made by the clouds, the fall colors, the movie-set snow scenes. However, at the time I attended school in Steamboat Springs, art was not part of the school curriculum. Not until I attended college did I pursue an art career. My college art instructors had never taught a student with no previous art training. Therefore, I was encouraged to change my major. As a result I had a twenty-year career in business before pursuing my art seriously. Steamboat Springs developed a thriving visual arts community after Eleanor Bliss established the Arts Council, renovating the old railroad depot building for the home. I returned to Steamboat in the 1980s and I resumed my desire to be an artist, enrolling in college and taking classes from the successful local artists. After three years I returned to Houston, Texas and continued my business career, but pursued my art. In Houston I found my art mentor, Polly Hammett, NWS, AWS. My art career started in 1992 when I was invited to join the artists at Archway Gallery in Houston. In 2002 I returned to Steamboat and helped build a vibrant art community as the founding president of Circle 7 Fine Art and co-founder of the ArtWalk. I’m an active member of the Steamboat Arts Council. I show my art at Circle 7 Fine Art, 1009 Lincoln in Steamboat.