You never know who is around the next corner....or at the end of the picnic table in this case....

One night Stacy and I went to Gruene, Texas to see The Chubby Knuckle Choir play.  While watching the band, we noticed there was a man at the front of the tables we were sitting at, singing along to the music, talking to the children of band members, and working with clay.  He had an incredible dog that resembled HANK THE COWDOG mounted on top of a beer bottle.  THAT was what caught my eye.

I figured the man must be a relative of the band or something and asked a friend (band wife) about the guy. She said they hadn't met him until this weekend but he was a follower of the band through his girlfriend.  She told me....."if you want to see what he's doing head over there cause at the end of the night he smashes it all up and its a ball of clay again."

So.....Sandy drags Stacy to see this artist.  We first introduced ourselves and started chatting.  Turns out Will (the artist) studied more formal art in his past.  He is from a smaller town just six miles south of New Braunfels.  His daughter has sold his art to pay for her tuition, in turn giving what would be his profit to a charity that is dear to his heart, thus winning his support.

Will is an artist....flamboyant, ready to talk and teach constantly.  He took my hand and started showing me how people see the hand but in reality how it is.....thumb sideways, not flat.  Pointing out lines and pads and putting what he saw into the hand he was making.  Yes.  THAT hand below.

A plastic drink cup he used to have wine in now held a person I thought.  Well, it was an embryo to be more precise....incredible.  Weird.  Disturbing.  Inventive.  Creative.  Breath-taking and inspiring. I think people's thoughts swing all over looking at these things.

I found them fascinating.  I like things a bit different, things that make you think.  Books and art.  Looking at this picture of the embryo, he noticed the foot was bent incorrectly and proceeded to make a "correct" one and pop it into Stacy's hand.

......and then there were the heads.  Not even upright, but I found them laying all over the table.  So....I propped them up and he made sure I noticed Sarah's and he pointed out how much she had learned and improved in just a day.  (Sarah is the daughter of my friend in the band and he's right....she's darn good and ended up finishing someone's horse head and doing some animals of her own.  Impressive girl!)

And below is Sarah and one of her creations.  An artist in a weekend.  What an opportunity for a kid.

What an awesome addition and pleasant surprise this was to the outing.  Will, singing away to great original tunes, sipping his wine and playing with clay.  Enjoying the hoards of people coming to talk and take pictures and just doing what was important and enjoyable to him.  He's found one of the great secrets in life.