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According to his Web site, the Winston-Salem resident who calls himself "The Wizard" is "ageless," "timeless" and "psychic."

And if you meet him in person, you could add the word "mysterious," as well.

In terms of an actual first or last name, the most this warlock cares to divulge is that people may call him "John." He won't share where he was born either, but says he spent most of his life in New Orleans, where he learned about magic and how to make voodoo dolls from gypsies.

Don't believe him? That's fine because he doesn't really care.

"I'm a wizard, and you might think I'm nuts, but I always fall back to this: I don't owe you any money, I'm not bothering you, I don't cause you any trouble, and my rent's paid," The Wizard says. "If that's what I want to be, and I can speak coherently, why not be a wizard?"

The Wizard earns a living by selling handcrafted voodoo dolls and feather boas through his Web site (www.mardigraswizard.com). He will exhibit some of his dolls as part of a group art show called "Farewell Season of the Sun, Welcome in the Season of Darkness" at the Electric Mustache Gallery inside Krankies Coffee in Winston-Salem. The exhibit also will feature paintings of skulls, witches and monsters.

When people hear the word "wizard," they usually imagine a ZZ Top-bearded conjurer who lives in a castle surrounded by a moat. That is not the case for The Wizard, who keeps his beard trimmed to a more manageable length and lives in an apartment with his "familiar" ---- or wizard's companion ---- a black cat named Tony.

His wizard robe hangs on a door in his living room, where he keeps a few modern-day amenities such as a flat-screen TV and a computer. It is also where he houses many of his voodoo dolls, colorful creations, most of which are made of Spanish moss and embellished with individualized flourishes such as paint, clay, beads and hair.

Another myth The Wizard contradicts is the notion that his dolls could be used to put curses on other people. He calls the dolls intended for negative uses "hex dolls," and says his creations can be used only to bring people fortune and good health and luck.

"If you start hexing somebody, it's damaging you with the negativity," The Wizard says. "And if you hex the wrong person, they can send it back.

"If they have what I call 'the powers,' they're going to know if they're being hexed."

During his time selling wishes in the French Quarter of New Orleans, The Wizard survived hurricanes Betsy and Katrina. However, he says, the crime erupting after Katrina made the city unlivable.

"It got so bad, and it still is to this day," The Wizard says. "It got so I had to carry a piece (gun) just to walk to the store."

So, when his niece, who lived in Winston-Salem, suggested that The Wizard seek the comfort and quiet of the City of the Arts, he decided to give it a go and moved to Winston-Salem.

He befriended members of the local art community who helped him realize that his voodoo dolls were art.

Laura Lashley, curator of the group show, met The Wizard when he adopted Tony, who had been hanging around Krankies Coffee where she works.

She doesn't consider herself an expert on voodoo or magic but thinks the voodoo dolls that required the most time for the Wizard to create are interesting to view.

"He made me a voodoo doll as thanks for letting him keep the cat," Lashley says. "He seemed a little hesitant to have an art show all to himself last fall, so we all decided to contribute stuff to make it a group show."

"I feel very lucky," The Wizard says, "I'm here, I don't owe anybody any money, I haven't made any enemies, and so I am not going to knock Winston-Salem."

Contact Joe Scott at movieshowjoe@gmail.com.