#1 fan?

I received a very special Christmas card this year. We lived for just over a year in Naperville, IL (from May 2003-June 2004). During our short stay there I was an active member of the Naperville Art League. I enjoyed the company of many dedicated, talented artists and was allowed to display and sell my own work in NAL's beautiful gallery. One of the League's members (Willard Smith) is a retired art professor and like-minded flea market/garage sale-er. He told me how he encouraged his students to collect old jewelry at tag sales so they could take it apart, melt down the metals, and re-use the stones in their own creations. He confessed to having a house full of things he intends to re-purpose and now has time to begin doing the assemblages he's been "saving things up for" for many, many years.

Willard was very fond of the boxes I make and he purchased quite a few of them. He sent me a Christmas card this year in which he described how he uses my theme-based boxes. In one he stores his collection of Beatles albums; one jingles with his stash of miscellaneous keys; another keeps precious photographs; in another he places his Coca-Cola memorabilia; one holds information about every car he has ever owned; one keeps safe all the love letters from his wife...the list goes on (he bought a LOT of my boxes).

I'm overwhelmed with gratitude. I wish Willard and his wife, Joyce, many, many years of good health in which they may continue to collect and create (they are both artists).