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Probably, not many local people remember or ever knew Nall Hollis.

Nall was a native of Troy and an award-winning, world renowned Alabama visual artist.

My first remembrance of Nall was when he came to Troy University as a resident artist.

But, in no way, did our meeting have anything to do with art.

I was invited to a tea party he was hosting … for dogs

And, just about every who’s-who in Troy that owned a dog or borrowed a pound puppy for the occasion was there. Most all were women, after all, it was “tea” party.

Not only were the ladies dressed to the nines for the occasion so were the dogs finely attired. Rather than tea and crumpets being served, there were doggie treats and tea.

“Thank you” was barked many times, and loudly.

“Nall’s was a doggie party for all times but I left thinking, “That man’s a nut!”

And, I had hit the nail on the head.

The dress-up dog party was the beginning of my friendship with Nall Hollis. And what an adventure it was.

Nall was an outstanding portrait artist. He was also captivated by roaches. Imagine the surprise when a portrait of a wife’s husband was delivered to her with a roach perched on her hubby’s head.

Nall was very much impressed with the work of Brundidge folk artist Betty Sue Mathews. He was hosting an artist’s reception for her at an upstairs gallery in Montgomery and Betty Sue would be there.

Before I could get up the stairs, Nall was coming down.

“You have got to get her out of here!”

I had a big laugh when I got upstairs. Nall had Betty Sue’s artwork highly-priced – four figures -and hanging. Across the gallery, Betty Sue had a stack of her artwork, on paper grocery bags and priced at $5.

I bought one.

A must-share story is of Nall’s wedding. He already had a bride but he didn’t feel the marriage would be complete until the vows included all his ancestry – American Caucasian, African American and American Indian.

He went to Atlanta to purchase an American Indian headdress that would have made Red Chief proud. He drove back to Troy wearing the Indian headdress. Motorists rubber-necked from there to here.

For his African America ancestry, Nall chose a National Basketball Association uniform, and to represent his American heritage, he chose a traditional tux with a bow tie, shiny patent, leather shoes and white socks for spark.

He planned a big shin-dig reception with refreshments native to each of his three ancestries – hamburgers, turnips greens and tamales, and genres of music….. . country, hip-hop and pan-Indian.

Sheila Jackson, Troy’s songbird called me.

“You’ve got to help me! Nall wants me, Christine and Kathryn to be canaries at his wedding and he wants us to wear yellow dresses.

“So…?

“He wants us to be up a tree. You’ve got to talk to him.”

Nall, those songbirds can’t get up in a tree,”

“Oh, I’ve got a cherry picker to put them up in the tree and come back and get them down.”

‘For sure, you can’t do that!”

The songbirds sang but not from a tree.

The attendants at Nall’s wedding were VIPs, Chancellor and Mrs. Hawkins, the Hendricks, BaBa and Ken, and Kathryn Tucker Windham, for starters.

The reception was amazing. There was food, music, merriment and stories to be told or, for sure, forgotten.

“Nall’s a nut. But, he made life fun. Just ask the Troy University students who, had a full day out of class, when he released a “flock” of holiday balloons and knocked out all electricity on campus for the day.

I had the opportunity to attend the opening of one of Nall’s art shows in Mobile. It was an amazing show and Nall was in fine fashion.

His mother was there and I had to opportunity to meet her and spend time with her and Nall.

With his mom, Nall was warm, caring and loving. It was evident that she was proud of her son and he was proud of her. It was good to be there.

But … Nall was “still a nut” and I was proud to know him.

(Nall’s amazing artwork can be viewed at the International Art Center on the campus of Troy University. It’s amazing.)