VA BEACH-aiga??

august 2005: Hey David,

Just finishing up on all my thank you messages for the event sponsors and I was saving you for last.

Well, WE definitely did it, but without your creative work, your charm and your willingness to connect with people on a real human basis, it would have been just another nice place to drink booze. In short: UdaMan! ** I was just talking to one of the people who attended the event, the owner of the local “Art House” movie theater, and he said that this event was the best answer that you could have given to the local AGIA folks-you showed up and nailed it!

For my part: I’m honored to have worked with you on a professional level to pull this event off (a dream of my college days); I’m a huge fan of your work and an even bigger fan of the process by which you give your work substance and value. When people ask why your work still rises above the crowd of imitators-I can tell them that others are just arranging objects in 1 or 2 dimensions- your best work floats in 3,4,5? dimensions, swimming in the emotive dream of the heart. It was great to really catch that side of what makes you tick and to hear you try to pass that secret onto others. My biggest hope is that some young person heard you and saw your work, and is inspired to leave their daily grovel and take some chances to create their own path. Your visit here also really shook some dust off of my creative soul as well. I’m more fired up than I have been in years!

Gotta say that I was also impressed with just you as a person. Especially with all the negative vibes that the local AGIA folks were shoveling out before you got here. It was great hanging with you, talking story and listening to some history. Hope to do more at some point! Both Skip and I were stoked that you were such a present person with your ego checked at the door. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that you would be a pain to live with, but hell, who isn’t?

Anyway, Skip got some good pics of the event, so I’m sending them along for your website. I’m also sending the pics to the Portfolio Weekly paper for their “Saw You There” section-helps spread the word of how good the event really was!

Got some promo things from Twin Fin, I’ll send a box soon. Can’t wait to check out Tortola, but, if a good swell is forcast for Cape Hatteras, you should fly up! I’ll keep you posted.

–Mike