Hi everybody, at last I’m starting to overcome my total incompetence with the 21st Century and its technology. Kate, who built this site, has bullied me into writing this blog. This first entry is about what Sal and I are doing right now and how it fits in with L’Atellier du Soulondre.
Right Click on image and choose save target as, to download the brochure. (88 MB)
As you may tell by my work, I’m a modern realist with a classical background so it is difficult, these days, to find an agent or gallery who likes my work enough to take a chance, and give me either an exhibition or represent me to the world. Of course I could be happy to have paintings on the walls of the local bank or restaurant, BUT, I’ve already done that and sold a few… a few… not many though… so think Shakespeare, “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune…” (O.K. so it’s said by Brutus in Julius Caesar – he lost — but still it’s the thought that counts.)
So, Sal and Kate got together and produced a three-fold brochure with eight or so paintings and contact details, and on and we flew to Florida. Why?
Well, when I show my work to galleries in France (where I live) and the U.K. (where I am from), owners smile gently and hand the photos back with that look that shows both pity and incredulity that this fool is showing such old fashioned and impossible to sell stuff.
So we came to Florida, a world horse capital, to show paintings of polo, show jumping and portraits. With the help of an old friend, Frank, who lives near Palm Beach, we hit the galleries… and talked… and talked… and talked. We showed photos, left brochures and cards, called back, and talked more. We saw owners, wives, husbands, partners, and other bits of fluff. We smiled until ours ears screamed from the added pressure and movement; we listened, nodded and smiled again. We listened to advice, we even took some of it. We pounded pavements and pretended not to mind when people were less than polite about my children.
Then… the nicest couple in Delray Beach, who had run a gallery for 18 years, said that… (modesty forbids the next few comments) they would take as many as they could have, landscapes, townscapes and portraits. Callooh Callay, oh frabjous day! They want them before Christmas.
All we have to do is pack em, send em and wait to see if it leads to fortune.
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And the story continues… we drove to South Carolina – five hours – and found another gallery, “Dog & Horse, Fine Art & Portraiture” in Charleston (Gone with the Wind stuff), such a beautiful city. They want two years exclusive rights on the portraits of dogs, horses and people! Whooooopeeeeee! So, when we get back home on Tuesday we’ll be stripping the walls in all the bedrooms of David’s art, and sending pictures to both galleries, in the hope that they get enough sold before Christmas for us to afford the turkey.
Hello David and Sally,
I just want to wish you luck in the selling of your work. You certainly picked a good location in South Carolina….a very “horsey” area.
I would like to point you in the direction of another very “horsey” community outside of Toronto if you are interested. It’s an area called The HIlls of the Headwaters and consists of many long time established communities entrenched in history and deeply involved with anything equestrian.
Here’s the site http://www.thehillsofheadwaters.com/index.php. When you have the time to visit you will see a list of galleries. And you will see the communities in the area are enriched in culture and the arts. Not to mention the upper crust backgrounds. Many of the people in the area live in stately homes, very expensive and some are business people that commute to Toronto which is about 45 minutes away. These people would have some money to go around
Take care.
Heather.
Thank you so much for your reply, we’ll have a look. Hugs David
you are Unique, ppl like you are little in this world.