Joanne Merriam's "Little Ambushes": Stories a painting can tell

I am actually beginning to wonder why I bother with Strange Horizon stories - most are garbage, this included. Yet these very same people produced the lovely "Limits" by Donna Glee Williams last month! May be I will try a few more before giving up.

Full text of this story is available online.

Story summary.
Some race of sentient aliens have been known to humans for a while. Now there is an exchange program under which a male alien painter, named Shperidth, will live with a female human painter, Sarah, for a month on earth - learning our ways. Since Sarah cannot spell his name correctly, she names him Spider, because that is what he reminds her of.

Story is of their interactions, & his amazing (but undisclosed) sources of information about her. In the end, he leaves a masterpiece painting as parting gift that seamlessly includes the main actors in her life - mom, dad, ex-husband, ...

Quote in the sidebar of this article clarifies the title; it is spoken by alien to Sarah - she misses her ex-husband.

Fact sheet.
Little Ambushes, short story, review
First published: Strange Horizons, 20 Aug 2007
Rating: C