I met a guy this week through a friend of mine who happened to be in the friends shop at the same time as I was. Over a cup of tea, the two of them were having a business meeting about promotional adverts for the forthcoming Christmas period and my friend quipped “Jackie’s arty farty” and invited me to look at the laptop screen with them for my comments regarding the artwork that had been done so far. There were a couple of comments I made, including the reason that shop is so popular with the buying public, and their corporate colours, and one about a spelling mistake, since I hate to see those in any official paperwork!
We were all experienced business people of a similar middle-age so there was respect regarding each of our abilities.
We hadn’t been there more than ten minutes when my friend made his apologies as he had to make a delivery to a customer, and left the other guy and me alone to finish our cups of tea.
We both felt that there was a glimmer of connection though we’d only just met.
And he asked how long I’d been an artist? I smiled and said “All my life!”, he asked what subject matter I work in and I replied “Watercolours, oils, acrylics, pen and ink, pencil, and I’m also unusual in that I paint all subjects including portraits, pet portraits, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy pictures, erotic art, abstracts and paint anything but I put that I’m am ‘Erotic Artist’ on my business card because then people pay attention and they lose interest if I start listing all the things I do!”, he smiled and said “That’s a really good idea, very good promotion!” and I smiled and thanked him as I gave him one of the cards, and he gave me one of his.
Since he lives near Ashby de la Zouch, as do I and have lived in this area for many years, and he was reasonably new to the area he asked if I knew a couple of women artists who are connected with art in that area and I agreed that I did know them. He asked if I had exhibited at the large annual Ticknall Village art exhibition and I said I had done for about eleven years but not for the last couple of years.
He talked about the artwork he did, and where he exhibited it, and his wife who taught art and was a better artist than him he said.
I talked about the latest painting I had just delivered to a client, who was delighted with the painting and I said that I much preferred to do commissions as the client got exactly the painting they wanted, and I could design the painting for them to fit their wall space, wishes, and price accordingly!
He was intrigued I think with the artwork that I have done in the past, and asked what work I had done in the last year as I listed with a smile all the diverse paintings from pen and ink drawings for Repton Parish Council, to a two abstract fanny logos for a business woman, to the black and white tasteful nude picture of a couple on a sandy beach, to the angel painting with red hair and hidden pagan symbols, and I think we were only talking for about fifteen minutes as he had to go, and I’d hardly said much about what I’d done, when he said admiringly “You ought to write a book!” and I smiled and said “I write a blog!”.
We shook hands as we smiled and said goodbye and agreed to stay in touch.
But he’s got me wondering, about whether I should…