Bump, bump, bump goes the truck along the dusty road, as the vast and beautiful Ethiopian countryside sweeps by. It’s stunning, and I’m enchanted. The road is a reoccurring theme in my work. I’m simply taken by the open road.
My latest series on Ethiopia is all about the road, as I look back on the more than 60 sketches I did while in Ethiopia — almost half from the truck. The road is a central theme. It’s about a journey, not the destination. On the road, you are already there, you’re right where you’re supposed to be, and the road reminds me of this.
I may be on a journey, but no single part of that journey is more important than the next. You may be filled with anticipation for where you’re going, but don’t forget to look out the window and be where you are.
Don’t miss the joy and fulfillment of putting the pen to paper, so to speak, and authoring your own life. May the road and these paintings remind you to stop, take a deep breath and experience the joy of being where you are!
Stephanie Schlatter Art 