Rickie Wiley’s acorn carved out of driftwood won best of show among all artists entered in the intermediate division of the Mineola League of the Arts annual art show last week.

According to Wiley’s sister, Trudy Haynes, “We gave him the lathe, he cut down his tree in the front yard, he made me an acorn in April and then died in July.”

Haynes entered pieces her brother had made before his passing and was pleasantly surprised by the accolades they received.

Referring to the droplets easing out of her eyes as she spoke of him, “Those are tears of joy.” She thinks her brother, “would be so ecstatic.”

Her brother was special, says Haynes. He could draw from his imagination to create art without a reference.

She offered, “So he just imagined a giant acorn and then said, ‘well that would look good on this beautiful piece of driftwood.’ Who does this? Not me.”

An artist does.

“An artist of that caliber that was never realized,” Haynes articulated.

“He was the person that you went to when you wanted to feel good, he would make you laugh.”

Through his art, Wiley is still making people feel good, especially his sister.