Thinks happen: Yesterday in 1997 - A visit with Patrick Dougherty

Sun Aug 17 1997

I talked at length with Patrick Dougherty today. He is a very nice fellow. I mentioned again that I wanted him to autograph a couple of the computer prints and he was really enthusiastic. I explained how I wanted to give one to a friend that was really impressed with the work that was at the Fest.

Then he told me that the Art Gallery has decided not to give him the prints I made for him and asked if I could make an extra one for him. I told him that I would be glad to. I had already gotten a 4X6 print of each of the shots and was prepared to do a really detailed makeover of them removing the people. The other shots I worked from 3.5X5. Working from a larger original I will be able to do a better job. I hope to do those tonight before the mother’s 2AM potty run.

I plan to give him a 4x6 print of the originals too. He said he knows a place in Ohio that can digitize them and make the slides that he wants. If he needs a larger size I can get him 8X10 too. He mentioned the color copy service like I found in Wichita too. He was as amazed as I was at the quality.

I have been running over there every day and shooting a set of pics from the same position each day. The sculpture is really taking shape. It is quite beautiful and twice as complicated as the other one....

The sculpture is really hard work. He works about 10 hours a day, every day, hauling branch by branch and shoving it into a woven pattern. Up on the scaffolding and down. Bending and twisting each limb and sapling to look natural but cultured into a given shape... It really looks hard. I watched him for about 10 minutes today.