A couple days ago I got into a discussion with my friend about my post “Almost There.” My friend liked my painting and asked me how I could bear to sell it?
Today I had another conversation with a potential client who needed a price break on a piece she really liked.
The two conversations got me thinking.
When I paint, I paint as entertainment. I don’t claim to have an artistic vision that is driving me; I enjoy the process of developing an idea.
Not all my ideas turn out great. About once a year I go camping and burn all my failed attempts. No gasping, please. I find this an incredibly cathartic experience. Afterward, I feel free. I don’t have to drag around all the failures and mistakes.
The pieces that turn out are pieces I’m proud of. They may not be perfect, but I succeeded in conveying my idea.
From here what I hope is that my pieces will find a home where that idea is appreciated as much as I enjoyed creating it.
Occasionally I create a piece that I think is best left with me. One piece is “Eye Contact.” When I went to Hawaii last year I went on a dolphin tour and had a great time. On our final trip into the water, one of the dolphins came up and, I swear, looked me right in the eye. This painting is about that moment. It’s special to me… more special than I think it would be to anyone else.
On the other hand, “Sizing Up the Competition” is much less personal. It’s a work that started out with a good photo and evolved. I hope it conveys the excitement and chaos of the racecourse, the beauty of horses, and the close quarters as the horses go around the track. The perfect home for this piece will enjoy those aspects of the painting.
If I had unlimited space and no monetary constraints, I might keep all my paintings. But I don’t think so. I like the idea that someone else might enjoy my paintings as much as I enjoy the paintings that I collect.