After the lull of last week suddenly everything is running at full speed again. I love it when its like that!
I knew when I received the email earlier on this week from the woman I did the drawing of two years ago we were talking about her mothers wedding in April next year. And April is a long way away. So, I presumed that I might be contacted in February at the earliest regarding the painting commission. But, that wasn’t to be. The phone call came on Tuesday of this week, with an arrangement to meet on Thursday! I love it when the momentum is there from both parties, and I can get on with the picture straight away.
The bride to be, and her intended man arrived on the dot of 7pm as we agreed, I shook hands with them as I welcomed them in and showed them some of my artwork. Because in a way, they were coming to me blind. They came because someone else sent them, to have a picture done, by me, for them, as a gift.
When I spoke to the bride on the phone she had a simple idea that I knew I could do easily for her. But since then, she had spoken to her man, and they’d had time to think about it, and throw ideas around. And things had changed.
His opening line to me was “What picture haven’t you painted yet, that you’d like to? and I smiled at him and said “My life isn’t long enough to do them all!”. He asked me what I was interested in. “Most things!” was my response, and explained that I had painted many different and strange pictures for clients over the years, including one earlier this year that was a traditional landscape with dragon and a castle, depicting the abstract concepts of a relationship between one man and three important women in his life. So, if I could do that, I could do most things! I also told him about the painting I did last year for a 75 year old man showing all the important things within his life shown within the picture. And of the gay couple from Bath who wanted all their families and animals (live and dead) included in one large oil painting with the wind shown as a seperate entity, and a restricted colour scheme. So, if I can do that, I can do whatever you want in your picture.
They started telling me about what they were interested in, and I made notes. Copious notes. Some of the things they mentioned were things that I am interested in, so I could related to their ideas.
After an hour though of making notes, suddenly it all changed.
The picture was described, and what was to go in it, had changed. But I liked it, I liked it a lot.
It is a wedding present with a difference. It is totally unique for them, it will mean so much to them.
And the bride said with a huge smile, whilst we were finalising the details of it “I’m so excited about this painting, more than the wedding itself!”
Wow! I’m so happy I can do this painting for them.
And just to add a twist to all of this, the bride and groom don’t know what the budget is for this painting. The daughter of the bride has given me a price, so she and I know what it is. The bride and groom (and I) know what the picture is to be, but the daughter doesn’t. The bride and groom don’t want her to know either before its done. The bride and groom will agree the working drawings with me, and the final picture via email. But they won’t see the painting themselves. The daughter will collect it from me, and won’t know what it will be of, or look like, til then, even though she will have paid for it. She will give it to the bride and groom on their wedding day, which will be the first time they will have set eyes on it.
Good eh? 🙂
And that’s why I can’t tell you about it here. It’s going to be a good one though, I can tell you that. I’m going to enjoy this one!