Written by Staff Writer by Ellen Barry, CNN
They’ve endured a 48-hour nightmarish battle with massive snow and high winds in Jamaica. They’ve shared an over-sized bed in a hotel reception area. They endured a 2,000-foot plunge into the ocean. They lay serenely in a mortuary-style bed for 24 hours while a doctor prepared to extract their bodies.
Such is the fate of two passengers who, despite being grounded across the globe, remain serenity incarnate through a series of photography assignments that document their adventures on the other side of the World Wide Web.
The duo, William Fadhley and Denny Manuel Guerrero, are the subject of “Yarn Men,” a series of self-produced online artworks by artist Amanda Waldman , who has participated in many of her subjects’ journeys.
Her assignment for Fadhley and Guerrero began as a simple email, following the pair’s attempts to get to Canada after the storms blew through Jamaica.
In a new series, “#YarnMen,” Waldman documents the duo’s globetrotting wedding saga. Credit: Amanda Waldman
“I was intrigued because they arrived in Canada so late, they had been sleeping in hotels, and I thought it was worth exploring what they do every day,” Waldman said.
One morning, Fadhley sent Waldman his routine; namely, how often he brought new yarn to the airport, how he decorated his luggage, and how he spent the time waiting for his flight.
The two quickly hit it off.
“I called my friend and the same weekend, Denny came to our bed and breakfast looking for me,” said Fadhley. “He had a picture and he said, ‘It looks like you.’ And I said, ‘No, it’s not me!’”
The journey across the Atlantic will be immortalized in a new exhibit entitled “The Adventurer’s Bride,” which will be opened on November 10 at the St. Bernard Art Society. Credit: Amanda Waldman
A natural born yarn spinner
With his friend in tow, the pair traveled the last eight days of the trip, figuring out a solution to running out of yarn and avoiding police. It’s difficult to spend more than an hour speaking with Fadhley, whose zen-like tone masks an easygoing eagerness to share his love of weaving.
The big question: whether or not he and Guerrero are married?
Fadhley and Guerrero haven’t had time to think about it, but, Fadhley said, “We have a (marriage) license. It was caught in the mail. We were married in Jamaica.”
They met in Jamaica last year, while taking a photography course at the Caribbean island’s Art Gallery School. They were bonded by a shared passion for alpaca blankets, which Fadhley said he has made every year since 2010.
The two met in Jamaica last year, while taking a photography course at the Caribbean island’s Art Gallery School. Credit: Amanda Waldman
Fadhley used to work in real estate development but his career faltered when Haiti was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. He and Guerrero are now living in Toronto, which they say reflects their adventurous love of travel.
The pair’s last shots were taken on Sunday night in Canada. Waldman, whom they refer to as “The Matchmaker,” said there will be many more pieces to come.
“The trip has just begun,” she said. “Denny and Will have left Canada to visit Greece. I’m planning trips for them to Antarctica and Ecuador, so there is a lot more to come.”