Summer 2013 - Father Woody`s | Haven of Hope

Father Woody’s Haven of Hope
1101 W. 7th Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80204
Non-Profit Org.
US Postage PAID
Denver, CO
Permit No. 1165
303-607-0855
melinda@frwoodyshavenofhope.org
frwoodyshavenofhope.org
Every day I am surprised by how much
talent a lot of our homeless guests have. They are
writers, artists, jewelers, photographers and much,
much more! When you see some of their work you are
amazed that not only haven’t they become “famous”
“We are here to serve, not to judge”
Rev. Monsignor Charles B. Woodrich
Father Woody
In support of our homeless
artists, we are excited to announce
our upcoming homeless art show!
Come and take a tour of
Father Woody’s and check out
the beautiful art pieces created
by our homeless guests!
90% of the proceeds from
the sale of their art will
go directly to the artist.
but, they are living on the streets. Many of the artists
such as; Dara, Eric, and Bruce actually find scrap
material from the dumpsters and various other
places to create their art work, but the pride that
they put into each piece shows. They are beautifully
crafted and jaw dropping amazing! It’s hard
enough being an artist with a studio,
the right supplies and a clientele,
but can you imagine creating your
art while being homeless? Part of
our mission here at Father Woody’s
is to be supportive and encourage
everyone who walks through our
doors. We do our best to help
them in anyway possible to
make their lives better. So, this
issue of Mornings with
Melinda is dedicated to
helping our homeless artists
promote their incredible talents.
Eric is a native of Colorado. He
started drawing as a child and realized that
the artists who inspired him such as Picasso,
Monet and Dali gave him the motivation to
practice more and get better at his craft. He
began showing and selling some of his work,
enough to have an art gallery in the Santa Fe
art district who let him have a small area
in one of the galleries
where he can create his
work. Eric’s goals? “To
express beauty, love and
emotions that evoke a
reverence for life and
celebrate its mystery.”
Eric’s work has been
featured at our annual
fundraising event and
his art pieces
were some
of our silent
auction items
first to be sold!
Bruce, who works at
Father Woody’s, was born in
Freeport Florida. As a child,
he moved around quite a bit.
With the help of his brother,
Bruce started drawing cars and
planes. He was inspired by
artists such as Boris Vallejo,
Stan Lee and Frank Frazetta.
Because he is homeless, Bruce creates his art at the
homeless shelter where he stays at night. His goal
is to make a name in the art community. “I know
the only way to do so would be to get my artwork in
the community, but without a house to keep
my art items in, it’s almost impossible to make
any progression.” My dream is to make T-Shirt
designs from comic book characters to mythical
creatures. “I love designing art on things you
can wear.” You can see more of Bruce’s work on
his website: www.deviantart.com.
Dara was born in Minnesota in 1973. She knew she wanted to be
an artist ever since she was a little girl. She began painting as sort of
therapy when she was very young. She was inspired by music, people and animals. Around the year 2000, she decided to expand her art to include
drawing, sculpture and mixed media. She began selling her work and
discovered that although she was not yet well known, people were paying
for her work.
Dara has received numerous honors and awards such as: Best in Show (2003) Washington
State University; 2nd place Dogwood Festival (2004) Lewiston, ID; Dean Davis Award (2010)
Spokane, WA. Dara’s hope is to someday be recognized for her talent and be able to live
comfortably from her gift of creating art.