sailing shoes

Okay...I know I said that I would write about my news as soon as I could, but things/life/whatnot in my neck of the woods got busy, and I'm just getting the chance to do it now. So, in case you've been wondering which painting I sold as a Valentine's Day present, the wait is over: it was "Sole Mate"!

Here's the story: Keith Spiro was taking photos at the Joy of Art opening reception, and we got to talking (I mentioned in my previous post that Keith had been discussing my Fluevogs with another photographer at the show: "Those are her confidence shoes!"). When Keith told me about this conversation, I laughed; then he asked me if I still had that painting. I said yes, and he said he wanted to surprise his wife with it for Valentine's Day. He said they both loved the painting from the first time they saw it at my Curtis Memorial Library solo show in January 2013, and that it had been "haunting him ever since." He kept seeing it in different forms (on magnets, on the July Second Friday Art Walk poster, on my Facebook page, on my Twitter page) and the more he saw it, the more he wanted the original. I was totally blown away by this! It is always a thrill to sell a painting or any type of artwork, but when it is bought by someone whose work you respect and admire, well...that just brings everything up a notch (or two)! We arranged a time to meet, and "Sole Mate" went off to a very good home...but not before I gave it a proper goodbye.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow..."

On my ride home, I got teary-eyed. That has never happened to me after selling a painting before. "Sole Mate" is on my business cards, and like I said, it was on the art walk poster, and it's currently on my Twitter home page. People have referred to it as my "signature piece," and it's how a lot of people know me, so saying goodbye was tough. However, selling a piece to someone you know does make things easier. I know that "Sole Mate" will be loved and appreciated by the Spiro family, and I am thrilled and honored to be able to have them on my list of collectors. Plus, Keith said I could have "visitation rights," and that makes me very happy.  

Does art make a great gift? Correctamundo! 

I will end this post with something that Keith wrote to me on Twitter after he had presented his lovely wife with her Valentine's Day gift: "Love is the one thing that, when you share it, you are immediately rewarded with more! Thanks for sharing!" Amen to that...and thank you, Keith, for your support!