The bond of brothers

    I remember the day, It was early summer and nearing the end of June, my brother had decided to take a trip back to his hometown to visit the family. Our sister Sarah was about to give birth to her first child and she had decided to name her Athena. It was a hot summer night and I was dragging my feet around the house in a depressed daze. My brother asked me if i wanted to paint with him and i felt reluctant at first. I had been depressed all summer and felt defeated by life.
    But something sparked in me,and i told him i had a big canvas i was saving, I brought it into my room and began tearing the cellophane wrapper off and the smell of fresh canvas filled the air. My brother suggested we start off by painting the entire canvas black so we got to work splashing black all over the canvas. We began discussing ideas for what pallet to use and a plan of action. I began painting blue icy blocks breaking away off into a wormhole of some sorts and he threw a bright pink electric lightning bolt arching it's way across the canvas. We spent the next 3 nights painting together until the sun would come up and we would periodically stand outside talking together. I was amazed at what were doing and the company of my brother was very comforting at the time. It felt like the good ol' days when we used to draw together in Arizona.
   On one of the last nights our sister was rushed to the hospital and went into labor. During that time my brother thought of a title for the painting that seemed to fit perfectly. The Birth of Athena! And then my brother suggested that when she's old enough,we'll make her a big canvas print of the painting to hang in her room so that she can enjoy seeing her uncles art work as she grows up.
   My brother took the painting up to San Francisco with him and i traveled up in December to spend some time with him and work on finishing the painting we started. It seems that somewhere in this time the name the Welch Brothers was born as well and we've been painting together ever since.

"Birth of Athena" 2012 The Welch Brothers