March 2011 -  Not much new to show here lately. I haven't been inspired to do artwork for a while. I've been having trouble keeping up with everything lately. Feeling worn out and overwhelmed in many ways.   Watching what's going on in the world and having no control over it is depressing.  I love people and I've always believed that we all have so much more in common than we do in differences.  Even though each one of us is unique in our own way, we are all still human.  I've always believed that no matter who we are, we all basically value the same things in life, freedom, safety, friendship, love and caring, understanding, compassion for each other as brothers and sisters.  I believe we are all born with these desires.   Now so many people seem to care more about being part of some group rather than caring about each other. We are all just people yet we have become divided in so many ways.   If you take away the idea of being associated with any of any group, race, religion, nationality, take away all these associations, influences and labels, what are we to one another?  How do we perceive each other?  As human beings, who am I to you, and who are you to me? We are really nothing more than what we make ourselves. We are each what we decide to be. I believe the way you treat others demonstrates who you really are.  No title that you give yourself or that anyone else gives you can make you anything more or less than what you already are.  You are the only one who decided exactly what you are. Not your race, religion, nationality, political party, union, uniform, income level, membership card, or anything else external. What makes you who you are is the way you act and the way you treat other people.   I often wonder if the human race is evolving or devolving.   I've recently tried to warn someone dear to me about some bad people and what they were planning. As a result, I've learned that this person doesn't believe anything I say, but that they are actually on the side of the people I tried to warn them about. They've also informed me that we have fundamental differences in what we believe.  It's been a difficult realization to accept. I would have given my life to protect them, now, I don't even know how to speak to them.  I cannot understand it and there is nothing I can do about it. They have chosen the bad guys over me.     Thankfully some people have their feet on the ground and their head screwed on straight.  It's amazing how whenever the world is getting me down and I am starting to feel lost, someone comes along, often a stranger, who offers wisdom, guidance or encouragement, which in turn, helps me stay on course.  Is it just coincidence or are they sent by my guardian angel? ========================================================================================= September 2010 - Brent Berry Arts is a personal website. Things are not always what they appear to be.  My website may give the impression that I'm successful but I'm not.      I've put my heart into my work all my life but I don't know how to make money with it.  I'm running out of energy, enthusiasm and time.  The pain in my wrist has been getting worse too. I started a new repoussé piece a while back but was unable to finish it because the pain was unbearable.  I've been doing more digital art instead but I have no way to sell these images, they are nothing more than personal expressions, visual extensions of my thoughts.    I started this website back in 2004 when my interest in art had been re-sparked after a bad period in my life.  I don't know how to sell my work I only know how to make it.  I can't afford to invest into anything.  Meanwhile, I've learned that people don't have to pay for my art images, they can just steal them from my site and use them as they wish.  I've dedicated a lot of time to my art and this website but my expectations were not realistic.  After five years I realize this is more of a personal website than a business site.   I have stopped offering custom DVD -  CD cover art, even though I would still love to do this kind of work.  I have sold very little from my website in five years!    I have to focus more on survival and less on art right now.   I still offer my designs on T-shirts which are for sale at my cafepress store. I've reduced the prices on my limited edition art prints of old historic Denver scenes.   I still have some repoussé for sale but my hand embossed metal-work days may be over.  But don't give up on me, I'm not finished yet! there is always a chance that things can get better!  :) ========================================================================================= 6-23-10    It's been a while since I've posted any new artwork.  I've been side tracked lately with other things. mainly the garden.  This year I planted a lot of potatoes, tomatoes and carrots but also cucumbers, lettuce, herbs and some other goodies.  It's a lot of work and I'm feeling worn out             Heckle, One of the two Doves that hang around my garden. I saved this dove from my cat a few years ago. I kept it in a box for a couple days until it's wing was better then released it. Since then I have a couple Dove friends, especially when I have birdseed.  I call them Heckle and Jeckle, (named after the two cartoon crows from the 1930s.) I've also been working on a way to mount my new solar panels.  I've always been fascinated with solar panels and have experimented with small ones for years but I couldn't afford to buy nice ones.  When I sold my 1937 Dodge I used some of that money to buy some decent solar panels, storage batteries and a quality inverter. I've set up everything else but I still need to get these panels mounted onto the roof. it won't be a big enough solar electric system to power the whole house but it will be enough to run lights, a pellet stove, a computer etc. I wish I didn't have so many distractions, I wish I had more time to do art work but  I have to do these things and more. You know how it goes. When the time is right I'll be back. I'm not done yet!