Sharon and I recently visited my childhood friend John Kirchner, who lives in Woodville, Virginia. He’s a conceptual artist (www.johnkirchner.com). His farmhouse was built in the 1850s and was briefly a Union camp during the Civil War. The house sits in a secluded hollow with a stream and surrounded by a crisply mowed lawn. The area is steeped in history and natural beauty. It’s a place where George Washington worked as a surveyor, Thomas Jefferson visited local inns, and the war of Northern aggression still gets a rise from his neighbors. John’s vision is evident inside and out. I’m inspired each time I visit. His house consists of views of views, framed by windows and doors, holding rooms, artwork, landscapes, and sky.