I'm totally addicted

Uncle Dave Sturgil

Many years ago when the FoxFire Series came out, Dave Sturgil from Piney Creek, NC was featured as a maker of string instruments. We lived in Pennsylvania at the time and always vacationed with another family. We decided that we would camp the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our friend Joe Staahl played banjo and was very much into Foxfire. He was looking at a map one night after we had camped and realized that we were near Piney Creek and the home of Uncle Dave.

The next day we piled into our cars and drove to Piney Creek. Uncle Dave was very gracious and invited us into his shop to show his beautiful work. He was making twin violins for his daughters at the time. They were made out of curly maple and were identical.

Many years later after we moved to SC and I was writing and taking photographs as a freelancer, I remember Uncle Dave. I called him and made an appointment to see him for an interview. My husband went with me and we ended up staying the whole day. His wife made tomato sandwiches for us at lunch. He played several instruments for us. He played by ear and could not read music. My husband set up a tripod and took quite a few photos of Uncle Dave in black and white film. This is one of them.

I had so much to do today that did not include working on another portrait. I tried to ignore the desire/need to get in my studio and start on this piece. The portrait won out. About two o'clock I started with the cutting and had it finished by five just in time to meet friends for dinner and go to my quilt guild meeting.