Wednesday, August 31, 2011

August 30-Charlottsville Virginia-Almost the Last Delivery


Dearest Readers,
Etta and I are camping tonight on Sherando Lake in the George Washington National Forest, near Charlottsville, Virginia. It’s serene, and nearly empty of campers. But it’s also black bear country, no kidding! The rangers said there have been sightings every night in camp for several days. I hate this part. It is worrisome, but I will pack all food and toiletries in the car and hope the tree climbing behemoths trudge on by my tent.

Left Kate Kretz' Maryland home around noon today, drove back around Washington, circling DC via the beltway once again.


I snapped this white Disney-esque apparition nestled in the trees over the highway. It reminds me of the Emerald City or a science fiction Magic Kingdom. There’s an angel trumpeter on top of the middle tower. Must be a mega-church of some sort.


Virginia greeted us at a clean, compact welcome center, with a delicious greasy donut that Etta found in the grass. Saw my first kudzu patch, a sure sign of the Deep South.


On to Charlottsville, Virginia today and the home, studio and assemblage installation space of Hand to Hand glove artist Andy Faith. She’s on her porch holding her pug, Baby.


This is a momentous moment, people. Here I am handing the last Hand to Hand glove artwork that I brought with me on the Roadtrip Across America. I’m tired and pleased just thinking of all the “hand-overs”. Andy's gloves are stained and pained American Flag patterned hands stuck all over with small hatpins, like Iraq War voodoo dolls.

There are a few more Atlanta artists who need to receive their work when I return (this weekend!) On Sept. 10-11th I’ll drive one short road voyage to South and Middle Georgia, Tallahassee and Jacksonville Florida for some final hand and glove artwork returns. I need to throw a done-deal party after H2H is all wrapped up.

Thanks to Andy Faith and Kate Kretz for the care packages of food for the road, and to Helen and Pam yesterday for snacks and beverages to go. I feel sometimes like the Pony Express traveling along a post road, dropping off the mail and picking up provisions from kind artists and friends along the trail.


Thanks also to Andy for the gift of her book “Home Altars of Mexico” that I admired at her house. Such a treat!

I’ll end this blog with a selection of assemblages and combines that fill Andy Faith’s home. Her place is an artistic, claustrophobic (in a good way) collection of found-object-creatures, homages to significant people, and decorative things with an end-of-the world, faded glory sense of the beautiful.







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