A Trip to Vashon

I was invited out to Vashon Island to do a show at Lost and Found, in the village of Burton. Bonnie who owns the store is a fan of my work and has bought quite a few things from me so when she asked me I said sure, that would be fun. Off I go to Vashon on a Friday morning. It's just a short ferry ride from Seattle and boom I'm in a whole other world. I get to Lost and Found and set up the show with Bonnie. Bonnie is a trip. She knows everyone on the island or so it seems. But then again, it seems like everyone on Vashon knows everyone on the island. I met some great people there. Bonnie and her husband, Dan and Corrie and Tom, he's an industrial oven designer. Wow. That's a new one on me. I had a few hours to kill before the show so I wandered into town to go to the bookstore. I bought 3 Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson about his journey to build schools in remote parts of Pakistan. Fabulous book. Then I go into Kronos which is a great shop, artist goods etc. There is a woman in the back of the store hanging pictures and talking to herself. Couldn't resist..I ask her if she is the artist. Turns out she owns the store and is hanging pictures by a 77 year old French woman named Francoise von Dwingelo. I start looking at the paintings and just go crazy over them. Colorful landscapes and cityscapes, sort of naive, outsider looking, but there is something deeply spiritual about them too. I leave a note for Francoise, a fan letter, and leave her a pair of my Yes earrings as a prize. What a treat to see these beautiful paintings. Back to my show, fun evening, lots of good people and wine and we're by the water and it's all groovy. About a week later I find a postcard in my mailbox from Francoise. She painted a picture on the card of a woman riding a colorful bird. My own little Francoise von Dwingelo painting in the mail. She's invited me out to tea on the island next week. More island adventures to follow apparently.