last week i made my bi-annual pilgrimage to aylett, virginia to visit my oldest, bestest friend in the world, sarah pope. i've known sarah since we were 8 and she is one of the smartest, kindest and most beautiful people i have ever known (our 31 year friendship is a testament to that). for the first time ever, i spent a couple of days with her at where she heads the menokinmenokin foundation. menokin is an estate that was once owned by francis lightfoot lee, a signer of the declaration of independence. it is now a historical landmark. the property was last owned in the 70's by a family of eccentrics who let the estate fall apart. during a storm a tree fell through the foundation and rendered it unlivable. sarah and the menokin foundation are preserving the estate and establishing it as grounds where architect students can come to study how homes of that century were built. it is an unbelievable destination that you should seek out if you are ever in the area (plus they sponsor an annual, kick-ass, bluegrass festival on the property)!
the areas outside of richmond (aylett, tappahannock, warsaw, saluda) where i spent my formative years are rural and picturesque. driving down the narrow, curvy roads you see many abandoned properties, like this barn. i believe this is why so many artists reside here: there is something very romantic about these old places and the landscapes surrounding them. my mom was a wildlife artist and many of her paintings were inspired by views such as this. 
(this one's for jeanie!) um, tattoo parlors were not around when i was growing up, but it was the 80's so establishments such as 'immortal ink' wouldn't have been popular then. now this is the landmark where you turn left to get to menokin. don't you love how it's housed in what looks like an old country store (wonder if they specialize in inking john deer tractors and chevy logos?)? i told sarah's 7 year old son flannery (perhaps you've heard me mention him: the boy who proposed to me when he was 4 - adorable!! when i left this time, he gave me a plastic, red superman ring to remember him by - the sweetest offering in the world!) that i'd take him there for his first 'piece of work'. he looked more terrified than flattered by the offer...
and finally i leave you with an image from the wall of nathan pope's art studio (sarah's talented husband). nathan is one of my favorite landscape artists who, despite growing up in georgia and north carolina, appreciates the beauty of rural virginia and perfectly captures its' colorful grace in his work. currently he is using a lot of sea-foam greens and blues in his pastels, which are my favorite! one day i'm going to have my own pope collection and will feature them in my future, bad-ass cottage in ware's wharf, virginia!! oh, the coloring book images are not done by nathan, but by the also talented flannery. i love that nathan hangs them with his own work and have happy thoughts of them making art together in the studio. in addition to seeing sarah, nathan, flannery and rebecca (beck!), i got to spend time with sarah's cousin (and my old nyc partner in crime) lizzie and finally meet her sweet 8 week old baby, libbie, who she is madly in love with. lizzie hosted a fun girl party my first night in town with sarah, her sister ella and me. lizzie's cool baby nurse, norma (baby nurse to the nyc stars, but you didn't hear it from me) hung out too and there were appearances by both lizzie and sarah's parents (the 'adult-adults'). it was such a relaxing and fun week on the rappahannock river. can't wait to be back home with them for christmas!!
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