I’ll keep this short – the link below is long, but worth it.
Some of you who have read this blog a long time will remember my great friends Heather Neill and Pat Lackey – Heather’s the painter who has made me immortal – you all know the best time to carve spoons is midnight out in the moonlight…
I’ve known Heather since 1982 when she hired me to work in a picture framing shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We quickly became the closest of friends and have remained so across time and space. There’s my family, then Heather, then everybody else.
The small log house Heather & Pat have lived in for 32 years got flooded & ruined this month, on a creek in Pennsylvania. The flooding was one thing, but the oil tank burst as a result, filling the living space with a pretty awful mess. They aren’t homeless, they have a place across the lane – the studio Heather paints in – but have suffered a big loss. Heather’s blog post today tells the whole story – and includes a gallery of her paintings currently for sale, how to order prints, etc. If you’re inclined, here’s the link to read the story and learn more. https://heatherneill.com/studio-blog/2021/09/19/mitigation/
PETER FOLLANSBEE: JOINER’S NOTES 
this is just awful–what a mess and to lose your house, wow.
Hi Peter…I live in Pennsylvania and had some water damage too, but not as bad as your friend’s damage. After my insurance company told me that “surface water” damage was not covered under my homeowners policy, they said FEMA does accept applications for aid. I thought you might want to pass it along….
Thank you, I sent Heather a note.
It’s been a pleasure to get introduced to Heather’s work and her brief but fascinating writing through your posts about her, Peter. Her paintings are the most uncanny mix of haunting and cheerful, like interrupted dreams. I hope she sells a boatload of them to underwrite whatever they are facing , which is sort of hard to imagine (all the wood replaced? all?! it’s a cabin…).
Heather’s a tremendous talent, maybe one of the best of our generation. I have tried to follow her since you first introduced us to her work, thanks for that! Sad to hear of her misfortune, seems like far to much of this is happening these days. Thanks for sharing Peter.