"Yeah, uh, really." Joaquin felt his cheeks flush just slightly. He hadn't exactly been trying very hard to get a show, and most of the places he'd been living in (well, his van was parked there) over the past few years were too small to really do much other than sell things in coffee shops, some of the higher-end tourist shops. Having a more permanent home, especially one so close to a larger centre, made things a whole lot easier. Having someone just call him up and tell him they wanted to give him a show helped a ton, too. "It's true-- I just... uh. Well I kinda um, I kinda just travelled like crazy for three years. I've only been um, y'know, living in a normal kinda apartment setting for a few months." It was a nice change, really. He felt half normal, with a job and a roof over his head and room to stretch out.
He followed Luc's lead and ordered himself a scotch as well, sipping at it slowly. The last thing he needed to do was drink too much tonight. The whole non-sober artist thing was sort of a thing, yes, but it wasn't his thing. Then, he felt an arm around his shoulders and he leaned in to look up at Luc with wide blue eyes, eyebrows raised. He had a good point, but he also wasn't going to tell him that, well, the prices weren't really negotiable but he just sort of had a good feeling about the man. He really wasn't made to be a businessman.
Taking another sip of his drink, Joaquin leaned back as Luc's arm slid away, a shy smirk quirking at the corners of his mouth. "So, uh, tell me... Are you just warning me, or are you a shark too?" He chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair. "You're right, though. All these people- it feels almost like a Prince and the Pauper situation for me. Not because-- I'm not like, uh, starving or anything, it's just kinda a whole different thing than what I'm used to. I'm used to selling paintings out of my van to tourists in New Mexico. Not quite the same." He smiled at Luc's little nudge and nodded. He wasn't a great talker or a great salesperson, but he wasn't about to back down from this challenge.
His favourite was unquestionable, so it didn't take Joaquin long to lead Luc to it. The painting itself was not particularly large or small in comparison to the others, but he'd always really enjoyed it- one of those things he hadn't really expected to like as much as he did. "I just got around to painting this one a few months ago, actually. It's, um, on the Lava Falls trail in the Grand Canyon, last October." He remembered it fondly, having spent a great amount of time in the area over the years. One of those places he just found himself drawn to.
"It was pretty uh, intense, since we were hiking- me and some of the locals, so I didn't bring any of my art stuff with me, just my camera. I was really stupid, I mean I just kinda underestimated how difficult it would be and... uh, have you ever been really worn out and kinda dehydrated and delirious?"
Joaquin paused. "I mean I don't uh, make a habit of it! But it happened, and uh... I took a whole ton of photos and forgot about them 'cause I was just so out of it. Fast forward to this spring, I move to Newport and finally get all my stuff out... I've got a whole roll of film I need to develop, so I get it done and I've got... so many horrible pictures. I don't think I could walk properly, let alone shoot anything. But then there was this one..." Gesturing to the painting, Joaquin tilted his head to the side just slightly. "You've got all those huge rocks in there-- all those colours. And then right here--" He circled the top left corner of the painting with his finger, "--That's Vulcan's Throne, this big volcano... I dunno. I just loved the photo so much I had to paint it- especially since I was getting homesick. Well... Homesick's the wrong word. I'm from Alaska, so I guess I can't really get homesick for Arizona, but that's the closest word I can get." Joaquin turned to Luc, smiling and giving him a shrug.