On a cloudy February morning, heading home from an uneventful trip to the Sunday flea market, I reluctantly turn into a deserted parking lot. I noticed two dealers were here at opposite ends. Little did I expect this would turn into a year and half long pilgrimage where I would learn much about the self-taught artist Horace Pippin. It was one of his paintings, telling a specific story that I carried with me to friends, to new acquaintances, to libraries, to museums, to auction houses, to the USPS, and to many more places using it as a torch to guide my way. In the end it proved to be one of the most exciting journeys I have experienced. I feel very enriched to have found Horace Pippin.
Tom Hughes a retired Architecture Professor enjoys reading, writing, collecting books and hiking. He lives in rural Eastern Pennsylvania with his family, two dogs and two cats.