Admiration/Apology

To the man I saw so long ago with his son.

When you met me I was a confused young man

and I didn't understand. I was hurt,chided,

and very misguided. It took me many years

to see that the examples I had been shown

were wrong. That we don't have to live that

way.

When I met you and your son I was brash,

abrasive, and completely uncouth. You and

your son were out for the evening I believe

we were waiting in a line for something. I

cannot be more specific, I was less than

sober. It was the early 90's. I guess he

smelled the alcohol, he became quite

obnoxious and made some comments about the way

I dressed and smelled. I was so out of it that

I was so out of it that I almost hit him.

You were amazingly calm with me and stepped

between us. It was only then that I realized,

had the time to see, that he was handicapped.

I think with what I know now that the boy was

probably a victim of Down's Syndrome. You

calmed him and I expertly. Then I focused on

you as a threat. You and he were wearing

matching outfits, sort of like the old time

detectives. I demanded to know why you dressed

him up and took him out in public like that.

I didn't know that I was the real weirdo. But

you were so patient.

You said,”I take him out like that and buy him

clothes like that because it makes him happy...

he's my boy.” You had your palms open towards

me. I just threw my hands up and walked away.

In the background I heard you chastise him, and

I was so polluted, physically and spiritually,

that I was happy about it.

I know now that I probably ruined a happy father

son day for you. As I look at my own boys now I

realize that he will always be that sweet little

boy for you, trapped inside himself, never able

to really grow up. I know how painful that must

be for you. As a father I can now see.

You did not waste your breath that day on some

dumb punk. I remembered. I can only hope to be

that good of a father to my own kids. You have

set an example that I will follow. I will tell

my kids about it. I hope that you and your son

are well, and you have my sincerest apologies

and belated admiration.

Wade

I have not written much here fore some time. My familly has had some seriopus heath issues to deal with lately. My Mother sick with cancer and My Father fighting complications from diabetes.

My Mother has lost her fight due to complications from the cancer and pnuemonia. We are seeking donations to help us honor her wishes and burry her ashes with the remains of my older brother Brian Spiker who died in 1967 at the age of 2.5-3 days. We need at least about $1000.00 for the cemetary to open and close the grave. This does not include the stone. Mom didn't want him to be alone. She never got over his loss.

If you wish to help please send a donation to:

 Herritage Valley Federal Credit Union

777 Kings Mill Rd.

York, Pa. 17404

( Mark it for Shirley M. Widener's Memorial Fund in care of Pennie Spiker)

Pray for my Dad, Charles R. Spiker, he still has grandkids wiating to play with him.

Thanks,

Wade

My little Pen and ink work came up in a show today! Had it at the York Art Association. It won an honorable mention against a field of paintings, "Battles" not only did that but it was sold before the end of the opening day of the show! Heck before I even got the award. Pretty cool eh?

Stil slugging it out with trying to get time to work! Also fixing a camper for the kids.
Wade

To anyone who cares,
I am more than a little annoyed today. I have been censored twice in one week. A website group showed how narrow minded they are in their religious views. They took my painting God in Man's image off theire site. I had a sample version up just to share with them.
I cannot understand how arrogant you have to be to do that. My painting displays . not God, but rather man's failings taken form and given life.
The other painting is one that I have in the adult themed artwork section. A gallery that I am with is renting space, and they allowed the building owner to decide if my work was appropriate. This painting was my appreciation of women.  Not in any way I thought offensive, No one in the painting was in anything but an artistic pose. Gee I wonder if my painting To be... has a chance in hell of being seen by the public. Same gallery.
They say that they will take care of it.
We'll see, as for the website group, I deleted all my photos and told the group owner where to go!
Nuff said.

I did have the pleasure of meeting Reina -76 in person and going to see her show close at The Meatlocker. Her work is pretty cool. I also ran into PEEK, a photographer named Mike Fitzegerald again this weekend and checked up with Luke Yocum. I like catching up with my new buds.
Mybe I will get my own show someday too.
By for now.
Wade

Hi,

  All I've got to say is wow!  I really had a great time on March 1,2008 at the show. It really was a good time with lot's of people and fun. Man, I never thought that I would still have fun chasing balloons around , but dammit, I did.

Okay so you think I am nuts, but no we had a legit reason. We were drawing on them and calling them an Art object. Really it was just a great way to get a bunch of 20 - 50 somethings to play like little kids. I would still like to know who the lady with the fur coat and russian hat was. Never did get the chance to talk to her.

I met lots of people, photographers, schoolteachers, art admirers, and other artists. I had the good fortune of meeting Luke Yocum, otherwise known as the Amish Neo. A neo-imprssionist artist who is taking New York by storm. Heck he just lectured at Penn State the day before. Jonas Hair had just exposed me to a sample of the man's work earlier that evening. You can tell alot about a man when he's lit. Great guy. I also met a very playfull photographer named Mike Fitzgerald out of New York, good guy.

I had a long talk with a local phtographer who works for the stae at his day job as a clerk. He did an exquisit picture of the bottom of a vase. reminded you of a black and white colidescope.Cool.

But most of all I had fun with nmy wife at the show. She is not an art officianato, but I am working on changeing her mind.

Wade

I just wanted to say that a locally based gallery. They do art shows and events., and appointment showings  has agreed to represent me and sell some of my works. They also have an online site. www.progressivegalleries.com.

They frequently have shows above the Maennerchor's Club in Harrisburg and run shows in Phillidelphia. In fact they are having an event there tonight! 5pm -midnight.

My work will be featured with several other artists both national and local.
Comeout and enjoy or contact them for more information. They feature music and entertainment as part of the show.

  Well I have not been sleeping if that is what you have thought. We have been having a lot of turmoil lately. My mom is close to dying. She has been circling the final pasage thanks to breast cancer and the apparent incompetance of local medical personal. I get in to see her when I can, but I hate to say it, real life is not like they say it is on Tv. Most of us just don't go in the snap of the finger with all the familly able to get there. We have been observing this, this death watch, for there is really no other way to call it for more than a year now. Sadly they call us and tell us it is time for her to go and we have called everyone and gone in just to find that todays terminal mini crisis has passed and she thankfully survived. Maybe it can only be described as empathetic exhaustion. I am just trying to let it in God's hands with my occaisional reminder notes that I slip him in the form of prayers. I pray for her recovery, but at the same time I pray that if it is her time to let it be merciful so she can pass in comfort.

  I don't know anymore, those of you who have gone through this before probably are aware of it. Let me know if you have any supportive Ideas. It is coupled with the friction caused by my family not getting along,you know, this one doesn't like that one, that one has no memory of why. Enough to make you envy the bald for they have no scalp to render by pulling out the hair...

  I have recently discovered this old work of mine, it was once confliscated by dear old Mom. Don't get me wrong I love my Mom , just not all her actions. She left it deteriorate. We actually found it when her medical attendants were cleaning. They grabed a peice of apparent old cardboard to use as a dustpan. My sister saw the other side and stopped them. Frame long gone, a little yellowed. It was only intended to last a few weeks, did win an A+ though and had it displayed at school, but is now 24 yrs old!

  I have also been working on 3 paintings and a few drawings and pen and inks. Will post when they are done! I have a ways to go. I get a little scittery when I am stressed. I have been exploring my creative nature with the english word. I have been writing some fan- fiction stories. You can see my latest post at FanFiction.net. Follow this link:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3993509/1/Pheonix_of_Cylon_parts1_2_and_3

  Oh and the final indignation of the month is that I amongst many others was graced by the designation that my work is theft-worthy. Yeah we had a round of art theives trying to buy multiple artworks on the zhibit.org community with bogus cashiers checks. Now would  you please let someone know that my work is also purchase worthy? I win contests and people try to steal them, go figure. But my sold item list is short. Maybe I should hire Sally Fields to do an info-mercial. Lets call it  the  "Only with your donation today can help save the self esteem of an artist today..." LOL. Think I would sell any more that way. Why in the hell do people like those cookie cutter paint by numbers deals that they make little 3rd world kids paint and sell for under 19.99 us for a sofa size work. It sure isn't on canvas! They usualy fall apart in 3-4 years! What a waste, I guess I should stop raving now. Oh My FanFiction Pen name is dau191.

Wade

Hey,

 I haven't written anything new for awhile so here goes. If you notice I have posted a new painting and have posted several new drawings etc.. Still haven't found some of my old stuff though. I think you'all would like it.  I have been trying to get more actual gallery space. Well still working on that as well as an actual studio. Working out of the corner of your bedroom like you were still in school is kinda hard.

I did put that money I won to good use and bought one new easel, it is a really cool Maybef easel I got from DB in Harrisburg/Camp Hill, Pa. But I need a drying rack system to save space. I am going to try to rig one from an old laundry rack that I will mount upside down.

I have had trouble getting ahold of a few people at galleries, weirdly enough the one I contacted seems to be open for only 4 hrs a week. Now thats really weird, they don't even answer their phone. When they did respond they said that they were only open 4hrs on sundays and on show openings. ???!!!! Who can run like that? Unless they change their ways I am not even going to bother.

I have agreed to show some of my paintings in a show at in the open offices next to the Dick Blick in Lemoyne/Camp Hill, I think they are on Market(what Carlisle pike turns into). The show is going to benefit the Art Association of Harrisburg and will be for one evening only on November 10, 2007. Their will be alot of artist there so don't miss it even if you find me a bore.

Anyone who is interested in showing my work or wants to see some of it in person before buying drop me a line and we can set things up. I am very security conciouse so be ready to jump through the hoops if you want to see it in person.

Anyone from the class's of 85, 86, or 87 from York Vo-Tech give me a holler I might know ya. Especially if you went to commercial art there under the evil reign of Teresa Raffensberger. Well, she wasn't really evil, LOL!

Later,

Wade

Hi everyone!
Hey just thought that I would share this picture of me at the gallery. They did a wonderful job lighting my work. Take a gander at the best of show marker right bellow it.

The whole time till I got the award I kept thinking that it was just a mistake, you know, that I would get there and they would say that it was someone elses work  and that someone got it confused.  I was so releived!
It helped so much that some of my familly got a chance to see all the other works there to. I think it made a good impact on them, maybe things might get a little easier, seeing just how good everyone elses work was to understand that I am real.

I have a number of other projects that I am going to do and I will need a little more understanding for them. I know they will turn out wonderfully and will have an impact. (PLUS BE REALLY COOL)

Just need to shed a little bit of that old puritanistic traites, I have already,but the familly has to come along next! Wish me good luck and go see the show at the Harrisburg Art Association in Harrisburg on front street.
Wade

Hey everybody,
 I just had a call today, I won best in show at the Harrisburg Art Associations current members show. I have never won anything before... weird feeling. I bet you thought when I said that I won best in show that I was talking about a show for purebred dogs, after all I make an imressive purebred pit-bull mutt mix, just look at the cut of my chin.
Okay enough of that! Hey, I am just to excited. They are going to be having an awards ceremony on Sunday the 9th of September 2007 at 12 noon. I have made arraingements and have managed to get off work long enough to be there.
Well, I guess you want to know hich of my paintings took best of show.  It was the one that I have entitled "Hell".
I guess my dad's advice to give'em hell just went a little to literally with my Guardian angel.
Damn , I don't know what to say, can't say that I am speechless, would have to eat a shoe.
Hey don't knock it reabocks can be taste if you sautee them just right. I guess this officially makes me an award winning artist, best in show does qualify as an award after all...
I think I need a liquid sedative or a coffee, well I will figure it out after a bit.
Hope to see anyone that wants to there!
Bye.
Wade