Beginning 2015
After the
10 days spent in the woods, I was invited to stay at an old artist friend's
home. This artist chose to remain anonymous, so I'll refer to them as Anonymous
Artist, or Anon for short. We had emailed back and forth a couple of times, and
had settled on a day to meet up, so I packed up the
DragonWagon, and headed to
Anon's place. They had 5 acres of land, considerably wooded, where I could
camp. They had a bathroom with a shower that was accessible to me, and an art
studio I was able to use to work on a couple of commissions I had lined up. One
was a little too large to work on in the woods, so I graciously accepted the
offer to use the studio, while the other I had already started working on while
I was out there.
When I
got to the house, Anon was noticeably ill, coughing and looking exceptionally
tired. Anon explained that a family member had gotten them sick, and it was the
worst illness they'd had in over a decade, so it was hitting hard. Anon had an
art show coming up in a couple of days, out of town, which required loading and
set up. They were very worried about how they'd be able to manage it, feeling
the way they were. I offered to help however I could. Anon was an oil painter,
using canvases anywhere from 2'x2' to 4'x6', and with 11 works, this was no
small load. On top of that, they had to load up the tent and hardware to
display the works, since the show was outdoors. Anon had one young family
member coming to help, so the van would be full, with no room for another. I
was asked to stay in the studio for the weekend, to watch the place and feed
the dogs. I assured them that whatever was needed of me, I was willing to do.
The time
came to load the van the next day, and it was no small feat. There were the
pipes to the tent, the canopy, the display walls, 7 of the 11 works that were
over 3'x4', cardboard between the works for protection, blankets for extra
protection, display table, folding chairs, cooler, luggage, and people. Anon
sat in a chair too weak to help, but to stubborn not to try, doing their best
to direct the process. From experience, things had to fit a certain way, or it
would not fit at all. After much effort, the bulk of the load was tightly
wedged in the van. Anon then realized that there were a couple of things needed
to be purchased, and since the family member was too young to drive and Anon
too tired and sick, I offered to go for them. I purchased the few things that
they were lacking, and returned promptly. Upon my return, Anon was just getting
off the phone with another family member, who had convinced them that there was
no way they'd be able to manage by themselves once they got there. They would
need more help. Anon asked if it would be okay if I came along. I told them
whatever they needed was fine, but I didn't want to be a nuisance once there.
They assured me it would not be a problem, they'd be staying with family who
had more than enough room for everyone. I quickly packed a small bag, locked
and hid the DragonWagon, and loaded the rest of the van. I was to ride in
between the two front seats, sitting on the cooler.
The art
show went well, and Anon's family received us warmly. It was a good weekend of
working and learning. We set up the tent the night before the show, got all the
works arranged, and headed back to the house for a few hours of sleep before
coming back out in the morning. I got to walk around and view other artists'
works, talked to a few, and learned a few things. There were painters, digital
artists, jewelers, chalk artists, 3D assemblage artists, photographers,
charcoal artists, and more. One artist in particular caught my interest. He did
fine line illustrations, and much of his work was based on dragons (can't
imagine why that peaked my interest). We talked for a good while, as I asked
questions and pleaded for advice. He told me of his early beginnings, the peak
of his career, and the hard hit from the recession with steady decline since.
He explained how the field is not what it used to be, but if one adapts, it is
possible to make it. It was quite an enlightening conversation.
Once the
art show was finished, and we were back to Anon's house, I insisted they get
some rest while I unloaded the vehicle. I was afraid that if Anon were anywhere
near the scene, they would be obliged to help, and their health was a concern
at this point, even several days later. Anon was very thankful, and very tired,
so they rested while I put everything back where it belonged. I was then
getting ready to set up in the woods of their backyard, when they insisted I stay
in the studio, where there was a couch I could sleep on. I insisted that it
would not be a problem for me to stay outside, but they were much more
insistent that I stay in. I thanked them kindly, and got to work on my
commissions.
The first
of my commissions I had already started to sketch out while I was staying in
the woods for those 10 days, so I was well into it. I was comfortable with it,
and it was very much in my own style. I was asked to draw a dog from a photo,
the only challenge being that the dog was jet black. That had me a little
worried, not knowing how well it would turn out, but as I picked up momentum
with it, it proved to be a good result. I was quite proud of the outcome. The
second commission, however, was of a horse trotting through a field. Horses are
difficult, because they are powerfully large creatures who show the daintiest
of grace. Getting the proportions right and the demeanor of the "light as
air" horse was very challenging. It's easy to make it look too heavy, too
grounded. Anon helped me incredibly by giving me a fresh look at it every so
often. Anon is infamous for honesty and bluntness when it comes to others'
works, which is invaluable to the progression of a good piece. When I work too
closely with photos, I sometimes begin to lose sight of the grand picture, and
draw myself into a corner. Having an experienced artist advise me along the way
was incredibly refreshing. The result was the best I've had yet. I took on a
style far from my own comfort zone, and couldn't be more proud of the outcome.
I owe Anon immense gratitude for the guidance along the way.
Heading Out to the Gathering
Once my
commissions were complete, it was time to head out. The location for the
Rainbow Gathering in the woods was finally made public, so I knew where I was
heading. I'd stayed with Anon for about a week and a half, doing what I could
to help out while they recovered. Anon cooked a huge breakfast for my
departure. As I was packing the wagon, getting ready to go, Anon came out with
a camera asking to take some pictures for some art students. Anon said I'd make
great source material. Imagine that, kids painting my likeness? Though
unlikely, I did like the thought of inspiring someone to draw or paint
anything. We left with many thanks to each other, and promised to keep in
touch. It was a priceless visit for me.
I took a
short walk or 3 or 4 miles to the Burger King just outside the Ocala National
forest. I wanted to check in with the family before disappearing into the woods
again. I had also been in touch with another friend who had managed to find the
magazine article that was written about my adventure. Remember when I was
walking over the bridge and found a lady waiting at the other end with a camera?
She actually published the article, and it turned out really nice. Sadly my
name was misspelled, but otherwise a very good article. My friend was going to
meet me at the BK, and give me a few copies she'd saved for me.
I
decided, before heading into the Burger King, to find a place to camp for the
night, since I wouldn't be meeting up with my friend, Miranda, until around 4.
I wasn't sure if it would be dark before I'd get a chance to find one, so I
might as well do it first. I found a wooded area near the BK (not hard this
close to the national forest), and headed in. There was a lot of trash in these
woods, and several dirt roads. I walked past at least three shopping carts
strewn about, a couple of campfire spots, and lots of abandoned clothes. It seemed
many people had stayed out in these woods, whether in the past, or recently. I
went farther into the woods until I saw little evidence of trash or
"campsites," and found a concealed corner to park the wagon. I'd have
to hide it, and set up camp at night so as not to make it too obvious to find.
I moved a few loose branches out of the way, and started to back the wagon into
the bushes, when I suddenly heard a distant, "heeeeeeeyyy!" I looked
around, and just up the dirt road, maybe 100 ft away, was a man staring right
at me. Shit. I've been spotted. "Heeeeeeeeeyyyyy," he hollered again,
"you drink beer?" he held up a large can. He was inviting me over. I
mulled it over for a second. He didn't seem to be threatening at all, but could
I trust him? A random guy drinking alone out in the middle of the woods? I
decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, and answered, "sure,
thanks." Maybe I'm too trusting. Maybe I should've just turned around and
left. Maybe...
He
offered me a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. I thanked him, and after a brief
examination of the can, I opened it. I didn't unstrap the wagon from my waist.
I didn't sit down. I kept one hand close to my walking stick. I kept my ears
alert for anyone else around. We drank and chatted. His name was Jason, and
he'd been homeless for a while. He did odd jobs here and there to get by, was
divorced, had kids out in Tennessee, and was fighting a cold. I told him about
my own travels, about my art, and that I was heading out for the Rainbow
Gathering. He mentioned he had taught himself to draw at the public library,
but hadn't done it for a while, so I encouraged him to pick it back up and
never stop. He mentioned he'd heard of the gathering but hadn't ever been, so I
suggested he attend and check it out, since that's what I was doing. Once the
conversation was winding down, and I'd finished my beer, I offered him a can of
chicken rice soup I happened to have with me, to hopefully fight off the cold
he had, in thanks for the beer. We shook hands, and I left. He seemed like a
nice guy, but I couldn't leave the wagon out here now. I took it with me, back
out of the woods, to the BK.
As I was
crossing the road to get to the BK, I saw a guy sitting at the corner, holding
up a sign that said "SMILE." As I got close, he saw my wagon, smiled
and waved. I waved back. "I guess you're here for the same reason I
am," he said. II told him I hadn't initially come here for it, but stuck
around once I'd heard of it. I asked if he was hungry, offered to buy him
something at the BK. "I could eat," he confessed, getting up and
grabbing his pack. He carried a backpack and a blanket covering some sort of
poles. He was barefoot, and wore a bandana holding up his dreadlocks. He
introduced himself as "Priest." I'd heard that the Rainbow people
take on nicknames for these events. I parked the wagon outside the BK, within
eyeshot, and in we went for some lunch. While in line to order, an older
gentleman, with a Navy veteran's cap on came over inquiring if that was my rig
outside. I told him it was, and I could see curiosity light up on his face. He
was about to ask something else when Priest interjected, saying we were heading
out to the national forest. The veteran looked at him and asked if we were
travelling together, and I told him I'd just met Priest outside. "Oh okay,
I guess I just want to talk to him then, looks like he's in it for the long
haul," said the veteran referring to me. I guess this didn't sit well with
Priest, because as the vet looked down at my toed shoes and inquired about
them, Priest immediately stepped back into the conversation before I could
respond. "Oh I walked through a pair of those last year walking from the
Keys," I could tell the vet was not amused by Priest's interjection. I
explained to the veteran that they were very comfortable, and worked well with
the low arches on my feet, and another girl who was in line with another gentleman
got curious about them as well, "they're comfortable??" I turned to
her and told her I'd walked well over 200 miles in them with no problems at
all. Priest then stepped in and stated he'd been walking for over 500 miles...
With this, the conversation, and everyone's curiosity, was stifled. The girl
and the gentleman turned back to the counter, the veteran said a quick
"good luck" and headed back to his table. Priest smiled, apparently
proud of his one-upmanship. That could have been an interesting conversation to
have with a group of random strangers, but it didn't seem Priest liked the
attention being away from him.
Sitting
down to eat with Priest was a little unpleasant for me. He was a boaster. If I
had an opinion, he had a better one. If I'd done something, he'd done it twice,
or bigger, or better. After just a couple of my own statements in the
conversation, I could see where this was headed if I tried to say anything
else, so I took to asking questions about the gathering, see if I could learn anything
interesting from him, instead. He'd been going for 8 years, and knew quite a
bit about them. I didn't learn much from him since any question I asked went
into a story about something completely different, so I left it at that. I was
getting nothing useful from him, and his mannerisms were unpleasant. He was
very cocky, and seemed to "know it all." I finished my lunch quickly,
and we headed outside.
We met
another guy in the parking lot, clearly going to the same place. He introduced
himself as Polar Bear, and had just come from the site for the gathering. He
said he would've loved to have stayed, but had other pressing issues outside of
the state to take care of. Priest was determined to describe his own pressing
issues, steamrolling the conversation. It was around this time I decided to
part ways with Priest, wishing him luck on his travels, and that we might meet
up at the gathering. I would have liked to talk more with Polar Bear, but not
at the price of being around Priest any longer.
I went
back into the BK and got in touch with Miranda, to see if she was still good to
meet up. She had an appointment to get to, and was getting out of work late, so
she would have to reschedule. We were to meet up later in the evening. I
decided I'd better take the opportunity to find a spot to camp before it got
dark out. I found a different part of the woods, deeper in still, with no trash
and no sign of people. I covered the DragonWagon with the tarp, being sure to
use the brown side so as not to be so visible, then covered it with branches. I
took a few steps away from it, and almost completely lost sight of it. I had to
be sure to get good landmarks to get back to it. On my way out of the woods, I
heard a couple of voices up ahead. Two men were also walking out of the woods
in front of me. Well, this woods were definitely populated. I'd have to be
careful on my way back in. I waited until they were out of sight and earshot,
then headed out. I realized that I'd taken a wrong turn, because when I came
out of the woods I was at a different place than when I went in. I hoped I
would do better at night to find the wagon again.
I
eventually met up with Miranda, and we managed to catch up. We hadn't spoken
since high school, but had kept up loosely on Facebook. I met her boyfriend,
who was genuinely curious of my adventure, and her daughter, who immediately
headed for the play pen. She'd brought me three copies of the magazine, and I
thanked her. When they left, I sat down to read what the article.
As I
reached the original entrance to the woods, I saw a few people in the parking
lot. Some restaurant workers were taking a break out back, some people were
sitting in their cars while parked, and some people were coming in and out of
the restaurant. I didn't want to be seen walking into the woods, so I decided I
would take the alternate route I'd mistakenly taken on my way out. It was well
enough out of the way that no one would see me in the dark. I reached it, and
stopped just as I went in to the tree-line. I couldn't see a thing, it was too
dark and the trees too thick. I took a few steps off the trail I was in, into
the bushes, cracking some branches under my feet. I sat down, closed my eyes,
and listened. I allowed my eyes to get used to the dark, and gave my ears a
chance to acclimate to the sounds. I waited for about five minutes, sitting
with my eyes closed, before I got up and started walking. The moonlight was
piercing through the canopy of the trees, shedding enough light to see, and the
woods were dead quiet on ground, only making slight rustling noises up in the
branches. I took slow deliberate steps, listening for voices or footsteps. I
took my time getting back to the DragonWagon, and when I reached the last
landmark, I stopped, waited, and looked around, listening. When I was satisfied
no one had followed, I walked over to where the wagon was, only I didn't see
it. I looked back at my landmark to be sure I went in the right direction,
which I had. I looked around, and couldn't see it. My heart started to pound
quicker, louder. I took a couple of steps forward, held out my arms, and hit a
few loose branches. There, only two feet in front of me, was the DragonWagon.
Damn I'd done too good a job with the camouflage. It was right in front of me and
I couldn't see it, knowing it was right there. I waited a couple of hours
before setting up camp, since it would be a noisy process. When I was satisfied
no one would be coming around, I set it up, and went to sleep.
Tomorrow
I will be heading out into the forest for the Rainbow Gathering. I am both
excited and apprehensive. I have heard, from a multitude of people, really
great things and really terrible things about it. I've been told it would be an
unforgettable experience, something not to be missed. I was told that the
people there are amazing, loving, and accepting. I was told everyone helps
everyone else, and that people there are great. On the other hand, I've been
told people go there to steal. I've been told criminals go there, the homeless
take advantage of the kind, and a truly unsavory lot attend. I've been told not
to go, and I was told not to miss it. I don't know what to believe or what to
expect. I've questioned my decision of going a few times. My conclusion is to
go and see for myself. One of the things I've set out to do on this journey is
to experience life for myself and come up with my own conclusions based on my
own experiences. I will take the warnings seriously, but I will show up with an
open mind. I'll hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Who knows what
will happen.
