Lost Art
As I look ahead to 2018, I am preparing a list of “To Dos” for myself. I love lists. More specifically, I get great satisfaction from crossing items off my To Do List.
One To Do task is to bravely step into this century (leagues behind many others) and move my old school, physical card catalogue of art to a digital format. I’m a fan of many disappearing, seemingly archaic wonders, such as writing (and receiving) snail mail, keeping paper records, dark room developing of photos from film, sealing wax, typewriters, reading physical books. My fantastic filing card system has served me well, reminding me what each piece looks like, what it’s dimensions are, its selling price, places it was exhibited and so on.
Looking through my art catalogue is an amusing blast from the past. I confess that cringe a bit seeing some of my earlier pieces. Looking at my pricing back before I was mentored about “proper pricing” makes me chuckle and better understand why sales were so great that first year. (I promise I did not realize I was undercutting every other artist at Art in the Park Stratford - I plead genuine ignorance.) But there are a couple mysteries in the mix.
For example, where on earth did a two of my paintings go? I’m fairly meticulous about recording sales, donations and gifts. One painting was to me, somewhat boring; predominantly blue coloured attempt a blue jay feather. I don’t care for blue very much and I’m not sure how successful my decorative swirls were at spicing it up, but I’d like to reuse its custom floating frame. Another painting is a more recent one made of one of my painting palettes. The piece is interesting enough, and the frame is simple, but I cannot figure out where it has vanished. I wonder if, at the end of a show in the flurry of packing up, I was careless enough to somehow have missed putting away a painting. The feather one was too large to miss though. Did I store them away at my parent’s place? Could someone have stolen them (dare I dream of such a twisted compliment?)? Really I’d just like the reassurance that I’m not losing my mind!
Golden Tulips
3’x2’ acrylic piece - my first attempt using high gloss resin top coat
A few other pieces are missing in action, but I know why. One was a large painting of tulips that I loaned to a friend (see above). Evidently I was not clear on the “loan” status of the painting. I suspect he thought it a gift because he later moved away and the painting went with him. It was an experimental piece using high gloss resin, so it served its purpose with me I suppose. Finally there were three graphite pieces that were purchased to add to the Bealart Permanent Collection (H. B. Beal Secondary School is a vocational school that I attended for a two year art immersion after I finished regular high school). It was a great honour to receive the grant for it was my first real art sale. Alas, to my great regret, I never got proper photos or scans of the work for my records before they disappeared from my life. The series featured skeletons doing various things. One was counting money, another hiking a mountain, and the last was reading in his library (see below). They were a commentary on what we pursue in life, and how/if said pursuits affect us when we pass on. Maybe I can pay the school a visit…I am still alive after all!
Two of three graphite pieces never properly photographed and now in the Bealart Permanent Collection (London, Ontario).
