Coffee Thoughts ~ Thursday

As I have my coffee this morning, I'm reading one of my ebooks I purchased from a well known artist who teaches one how to sell art. I have so many thoughts running through my mind, so I decided to take a break from reading and type them in here.

I just put the first coat of spray on the horse portrait I completed yesterday. I'll be sharing a photo of the portrait later, but this piece is already sold. HOORAY! Tomorrow I'll go get the frame for the portrait and put that together, as the portrait will be delivered tomorrow evening.

Although the sides are painted on this piece, I've decided to frame it because I know the home it's going into, and the framed look will be better for this home than the modern look of it being unframed.

The painting is called "Taking Home the Blue" and is an up-close and personal view of a hunter/dressage show horse with a blue ribbon hanging from the bridle.

The buyer of the painting allowed me to leave the wording off of the ribbon on the horse. This in turn makes the imagery beautiful for anyone to have, and I can have prints made and even license the image because it is not person or place specific - this in turn also saved the buyer some money on the final purchase price, since I am left with an image I can continue to reproduce and sell.

This painting is being given as a housewarming gift. Throughout the entire creation of the work, I was thinking of that. And I was reminded of a small painting I have in my studio bathroom.

This small painting is about 4x6 and is canvas on board, framed in a nice little ornate gold wood frame. It's a city scene - impressionistic in nature - and I have no idea of what city or even who created the painting as I cannot see a signature. As I looked at the painting yesterday, I realized I've had this painting since 1987 - almost 20 years! The painting was given to me as a wedding gift, and I have no clue of who the gift-giver was...seems it was a couple who were friends with my parents at the time.

What's running through my mind this morning is how meaningful a gift of original art is. I've moved many times over the years, and this painting has gone with me always. Every time I look at it, I remember when I received it. And do you know, I don't believe I have ANY of the other gifts I received from that time period? But I still have this little painting.

It means something.....it's an original painting....it was given to me to celebrate the beginning of something new and wonderful...and looking at it reminds me of that. In fact, I also have several prints through my home which were purchased or given to me as gifts for the "start of something new". I still have them all!

This painting I've done of the horse will be the same way - it's being presented as a housewarming gift to the recipient to celebrate her upcoming move and basically a "new life in the new place". And thinking of that reminded me of how meaningful the gift of a work of art is to the recipients.

As I look at my auctions on Ebay and the art for sale on my website, I think of how wonderful each of these pieces of art would be as a gift for someone who is beginning anything new - a move into a new place, a marriage, a new year, a new job, going to college or graduating college, the celebration of retirement, etc. They would all make wonderful gifts for someone!

I'm also feeling quite good this horse portrait turned into a sale. I wasn't sure if it was going to - but I'm very glad it has. My work is finally starting to find it's way into homes where it will be seen and enjoyed by others. That's a very good feeling!

Those are my thoughts I'm experiencing this morning. Life is good!

Jai