You've probably heard about David Hockney's contemporary painting, "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)", selling recently for an unprecedented $90.3 million. I'm probably like you--wondering how a work could garner so much interest and value. It's more than just the esthesics of the artwork on its own. Yes, it's a huge work and beautifully painted, but there's much more to it. In this case, Hockney introduced the style of 1960's California into the art world. He was one of the first artists to use acrylic paints, with their bright colors, to capture the sunny California climate and lifestyle of swimming pools and split-level homes in a variation of Cubism. He also defied the traditional macho artist archetypes and painted men (who were often personal friends) in "feminine" colors, embracing his own sexuality. In this regard, he is a major artist of the Pop Art movement. But given all that, one would hope that the buyer felt that the painting resonated with them. It is this connection that gives me the most gratification--that something I've created touches a viewer in some way that brings them meaning.
     I've had this experience several times in just the last few weeks. (No, not by selling my art for millions!) In one instance, one of my Butterfly Series paintings was used for the cover of a local publication, Ballantyne Magazine. That alone was definitely an honor and a thrill to see how the creative staff incorporated Charlotte Ballet's dancer with my painting. But what really floored me was encountering two people who had their own connections to the butterfly...one was a woman whose mother painted and had a fondness for butterflies in particular. We had a chance meeting at a local kick-off event that she attended at the last minute, and we found we had many things in common and hope to collaborate in the near future. She ended up purchasing a small butterfly painting from me in honor of her mother.

     Another is a man who contacted me because he and his wife have a personal connection to the Monarch butterfly since the tragic and sudden loss of their daughter. He had seen the magazine cover and expressed an interest in the painting. To know that my painting reminds someone of a loved one or a special time is the very best reward. Of course, not all are dramatic--I recently had a gentleman tell me my mixed media barns remind him of his teenage years in eastern North Carolina, arduously working summers to harvest tobacco before he went off to medical school. I was surprised to learn that and felt honored he was able to share that story. Both of us looking at those barns brought his memory to life for me.

     Some new small works I've just completed are of a bird's nest, abandoned at the end of summer in my mail box. It contained two eggs, but I have painted variations of it with different amounts of eggs, since some people connect the eggs in the nest to how many children they have.  That never occurred to me when I started painting them!  What a sweet connection!  

      I think art SHOULD be like that. Whether it is abstract or realistic, you should find pieces that give you some feeling. It can be what image they portray, or it could be how the colors excite you. But as an artist, it gives me great pleasure when someone tells me how my work connects with them. When I hear that, I am glad to see my art go off, knowing that it's treasured.  

Till next time!

Mary