Charles Duvall

For fifteen years I have traveled about half of my time. My travel has been centered on our installations and projects. The thread that has held our business together is a careful understanding of the nature of each project and jobsite, and taking the time to get to know the people involved.

In reality, the time required to travel is ten-fold the time spent at the jobsite, with the client, contractor, or design firm. Fortunately, I enjoy the people and places that I encounter along the way as well. I find that every person I meet has a unique story, and often these stories are fascinating and intriguing. Meeting someone while traveling is unusual because stories often are exchanged in one hour, fifteen minutes, or even thirty seconds. This occurs out of necessity when paths cross. The common ground of travel creates a bond and trust, adds richness and perspective, and influences my life in many ways.

As a way to calm myself, and reflect on the preciousness of each day, I write poems, and take photographs as a journal. Here is a recent poem:

shadows cross through the open woods
next to white barren fields
and curvy rutted winding roads.
i walk these in my mind
following the shadows which often fall
far flung against adjacent trees
and down steep creek banks
meandering like the sun across the sky
and drawing to a close at day's end.