Stu Jenks' Fezziwig Press

“Crane Day, Desert Agave, Arizona” © Stu Jenks 2021 [Extended Family Series]

“Crane Day, Desert Agave, Arizona” © Stu Jenks 2021, 52 inches tall.

Price: $150, shipping included. Simply contact me via my email address at stujenks@gmail.com or Facebook message me, if you would like to purchase one of my pieces. Payments can be made with Paypal, Venmo or credit card with Square. All pieces are signed with its title, and can be hung from the wall. Love y'all, Stu.

 

Crane was my friend.

He died in the fall of 2018 at the age of 81.

Here is a lovely article/obituary from Arizona Daily Star and here is a sweet YouTube video done by the Tucson Weekly of the man in his studio.

Crane's studio was just down the hall from mine. When I came over in the early 2000's from the Toole Shed, Crane couldn't have been more welcoming. We would laugh often and cry sometimes. We would watch Survivor in his studio every week with a number of his closest friends. We would shake our heads at the crazy politics of the time. We would help each other out in little ways.

But what I really miss is his hugs. He was the best hugger. He would grab me and pull me in tight and squeeze me hard as I squeezed him back. He would make a little sound when he hugged me. It was great. Sometimes I would joke, "Jeez, Crane, you keep hugging me like that and I'll turn gay for you." He would laugh every time I said that silly joke.

Also, he had the altar at his home that probably had 50 to 100 prayer cards on it, each personally made by him, with fine calligraphy, for anyone who needed a little help from the Great Almighty. He made them for my sister, for my mother, and for my wife at different times. I still have one of those cards that he made for my sister before she died.

In an odd way, Crane might have saved my life. Instead of going to Gabby Giffords' Safeway Grocery Store outdoor meetup on Jan. 8th, 2011, I went to visit Crane in the hospital instead. When I arrived at his room at Northwest Hospital, she had been shoot just moments before. I was ambivalent about going to see Gabby truly, hadn't really made up my mind, but decided it was more important to go see my friend in the hospital that to shake Gabby's hand. In an profound way, I'm lucky Crane got sick.

He was the greatest guy, an amazing artist, a wonderful human being. He proved that you can be a fantastic artist and be a fantastic person, all at the same time.

I miss him. A lot.

A scarf that he wove hangs in my bedroom above my bed. If Crane's spirit is out and about, I know he is looking down on me and on many others, with small prayer cards in one hand, a twinkle in his eye, and that sweet smile on his face.

I miss you, brother.

May God's love always shine on your spirit.

I don't think I even need to ask God for that. He's been doing that for you for years. For me too. For all of us I suppose. I sure hope so.

Give God a hug for me.

#craneday, #stujenks, #extendedfamilyseries.

 

"Maggie, Will & Gabby McIntyre" & "Alexa & Sarah Clegg" (c) 2020 Stu Jenks [Extended Family Series]

"Maggie, Will & Gabby McIntyre" & "Alexa & Sarah Clegg" Saguaro Ribs, Arizona, (c) 2020 Stu Jenks.

Price: Not For Sale. Gifts to J.P. and Palmer McIntyre, and Rob & Catherine Clegg.

Apologies for the low-rez iPhone shots here.

This past Christmas, I gave these two pieces to my brothers-and-sisters-in-laws. I also gave my four nieces, my one nephew who lives in the area, my father-and-mother-in-law and another sister-in-law, their own walking stick and/or wall piece. Due to me not selling those pieces, I didn't at the time see the need to photograph them. I regret that now. After having made over 100 pieces and having posted most of them on my site, I realized that I didn't have many of my true extended family members represented here. If I was on the outside looking in, I would wonder if I, Stu, had any true extended family at all, and if I did, why weren't they here. Does Stu not like them? Do they not like him?

No. I like my in-laws quite a lot. I actually love them. And I think they like me too. 

Again, last Christmas, I made and gave twelve pieces, most being Desert Agave walking sticks to these folk. It was fun and a lot of work, but more fun than work.

But I'm an idiot for not photographing them. Maybe some day, but those sticks have flown the coop.

Lastly, the two pieces here were photographed with my iPhone, in my old studio in Tucson, AZ, before I moved to Greensboro, NC in the summer of 2020.

Hug and kisses, everyone.

#stujenks, #extendedfamilyseries.

“Mark Murphy, Desert Agave, Arizona” (c) Stu Jenks 2019 [Extended Family Series]

“Mark Murphy, Desert Agave, Arizona” (c) Stu Jenks 2019. 59 inches tall.

Price: $150, shipping included in the price. Simply contact me via my email address at stujenks@gmail.com or Facebook message me, if you would like to purchase one of my pieces. Payments can be made with Paypal, Venmo or credit card with Square. All pieces are signed with its title, and can be hung from the wall. Love y'all, Stu.

 

Mark and I have been close for over 35 years. We have been through marriages, divorces, sickness, health, richer, poorer. Sounds like we are married but we are not. But we are bonded in the belief that deep friendships are important and healing, and that they never should have allowed the designated hitter in baseball.

Go Diamondbacks. Go Tigers. Go Giants.

 

#markmurphy, #stujenks, #extendedfamilyseries, #desertagave

“Dennis The Homeless Man, Desert Agave Stalk, Arizona” © Stu Jenks 2019 [Extended Family Series]

“Dennis The Homeless Man, Desert Agave Stalk, Arizona” 59 inches © 2019

 

Price: $175, shipping included in the price. Simply contact me via my email address at stujenks@gmail.com or Facebook message me, if you would like to purchase one of my pieces. Payments can be made with Paypal, Venmo or credit card with Square. All pieces are signed with its title, and can be hung from the wall. Love y'all, Stu.

 

Late at night, when I’m taking a break out front of my studio in Tucson, I can hear the homeless man across the way coughing. He comes in late on his bike, leaves early at dawn. He sleeps in front of an office that is vacant. When I’ve seen him on occasion ride up, he doesn’t have a bad vibe about him at all, not like some of the other homeless men who occasionally sleep in the neighborhood. ‘But for the grace of God go I,’ I often think when I hear him over there, hacking up a lung. I’m a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. If I had continued to drink and drug, my fate could have easily been homelessness. Easily.

From 1/14/2020: I found out that his name is Dennis. He is a little crazy but he is kind and seemingly sweet. He takes my cigarette butts from my ash tray when I’m not here. Rolls his own from them. The homeless call them ‘refries’.

From 3/3/2020: I haven’t seen Dennis in a few weeks now. Hope he’s OK. In Dennis' regular sleeping spot, another homeless man sits in his wheelchair. America. The richest country in the world. Shameful how we treat our poor. 

 

#dennisthehomelessman, #extendedfamilyseries, #stujenks, #desertagave.