Colby Sanford

Acrylic in walnut frame, 8 x 8 inches

(galleries of pairs)

The Way Our Youngest Looks Out The Window 

The Way Our Oldest Looks Out The Window 

A Mere Day's Growth 

 A Simple Recipe

Made possible by a grant from the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts, Art for Uncertain Times project.

Let me remember 

The way our youngest 

Looks out the window

Wide eyed, unhinged & 

At the peak of 

Curiosity

As if each feather 

of every House Finch

Or Cow Bird or Eurasian Dove

Were the reason she came

To this earth

Let me remember 

The way our oldest

Looks out the window

Wide-eyed, Unhinged & 

At the peak of 

Concentration

As if gripping tight 

To her red bike’s

Brown leather handle bars

Were the reason she came

To this earth

Let me remember 

That there are worlds 

Of difference

Between 

a four year old

And a four month old

And let me remember

That there is 

No difference at all—Colby Sanford, 2020

How is it, my Queen Midas, 

that as soon as you 

show me your care for something 

that it’s brightness soon

Comes to life in my mind?

Such as,

Your worry at the shape of our dear little’s head, day after day as you hold her. Moving her hair, that is coming in fast, from one side to the other, examining, comparing to the similar shape of my own. 

Or,

The measurements of buttermilk, oats, wheat flour, sugar, vanilla, blueberries and my two extra tablespoons of water, become more than a crispy edged breakfast with its peaks and valleys.  

A mere day’s growth 

becomes a valuable difference. 

A simple recipe becomes 

a reason to wake. 

Something once pointless 

now worth more than 

its own weight.

Otherwise 

Pebble things

Pebble moments 

By your care

By your touch

Turned into 

Gold.—Colby Sanford, 2020

Colby A. sanford

grew up in a humble and unconventional home. He was encouraged to paint on the walls of his bedroom, taught how to fix vintage cars, didn’t have a bedtime, and lived in a yurt. After spending 4 years in Asia, Colby returned home and finished his BFA in Studio Art at Brigham Young University. For the last five years, his practice has been largely inspired by scenes from everyday life. Colby’s most precious moments are spent at home -- cooking, adventure planning, and ice cream tasting with his wife and two daughters. Find more on his website or @colbyasanford.