Patrick Stacey:  

In the fall of '88 I went on to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. By Spring of '89 I was playing drums in a band called Dandelion Wine - sort of a hippy-punk fusion jam band. While in Savannah, I received an amazing education - at that time, the school still had profeesors that believed in Art as eploration, rather thatn Art for exploitation - by the spring of 1992, the "real" artists/teachers had been literally ousted in a political fiasco that would ensure NO STUDENT REPRESENTATION in the governing of S.C.A.D. Completely disenchanted by the institution, I finished college that Spring, earning a B.F.A. in Painting with a minor in Art History. Alot of good that did me, as I was never offered a class in "the business of being an artist!" In the early/mid '90's, I lived in Atlanta for an uneventful spell - except of course for the various Grateful Dead and other concerts I spent all my $ on. After spinning my wheels long enough, I decided I was ready to move. Serendipitously, I got a phne call from a friend who had just returned East from San Francisco. Reuniting with an old Reynolds friend, Jim Johnson, I played in a rock band called Gryphon, based in Athens, GA [ Jim's songwriting is to date still some of my favorite and most interesting music to play. Not many can write a compelling rock riff in 7/4 with a melody that wakes you up at night, singing on the way to the can.] I had meanwhile been making art somewhat consistently over the years, selling paintings in coffee shops and restaurants. I even made a little money at child portraiture for a time. Several bands and countless restaurant jobs later, in 1999, I decided to put down the drums and put my Art degree toward a "career". I picked up Faux Finishing - and got pretty damned good at it - as a way to make a consistent living. After building a business and moving to Asheville, NC, I met Amy, the artist/woman who would later become my wife. [ Still not sure what she was thinking, but am grateful everday that she is in my life. ] Somewhere along the way I had started playin acoustic guitar and writing songs as a way to keep the musical part of my spirit from complete disintigration. At the encoura...Expand for more