October 18, 2007 – Gloria Vence of Santa Rosa California bought Anthony’s concrete chain sculpture, called “Family”, and will ship out there to decorate her home. It’s a birthday and Christmas present from her husband, she says. This is exciting, for me as well as Anthony. He and I have been fighting for years about whether or not he is an artist, and now, even he can’t argue the point. I was present for the creation of the sculpture (above) and saw how hard and long he worked on it, and how personal a work of art it was for him. Lots of people e-mailed me about it, but Gloria moved quickly, and I suspect she will be quite happy with it. Hopefully, she can e-mail a picture of it in its new spot. I know many sculptures who have not sold a work like this, and hopefully, it’s a harbinger.
  Above, Anthony is working on the final links as his associate, Cail Johnstone, works on one of Armstrong Stone’s many other projects.
  Anthony demonstrated during Art Harvest that art is truly a manifestation of life, expressed through our experiences and emotions. Big step for him. Nice piece, too. Anthony and I are working on a picture book about his experience last year being diagnosed with adult ADD and other painful issues, and we are thinking of calling it “Non-negotiable” over the fact that we both consider our friendship to be a non-negotiable staple of our lives. I’ve taken a lot of pictures of Anthony over this past year, many of which are on this site, and I am hopeful I captured his experience in my photos. The book will be printed by the Troy Bookmakers and will be available at certain bookstores, and also at readings and other public appearances. The book ends with Art Harvest, a triumphal moment for me, Anthony and our friendship. Gloria has put the icing on the cake.