Over the decades, or should I say scores that I've been painting. There are certain milestones that occur. The first time you are juried into an exhibition, your awarded, your artworks appears in a magazine or a newspaper reviews your work, you get into a gallery, have a solo exhibit. One of the important ones, for a person who works a day job for a living, is that first sale and continued ones, those patrons and collectors that make it all possible. Others, still yet are when a couple that purchased a piece 20 years earlier track you down to acquire more of your artworks, another who's home caught fire, tracks you down for the sole purpose of letting you know the piece I painted survived and hangs in their new home or a childhood friend or family member shoots you a message with an image of an artwork you did when you were a child, a teen or in your 20's, that they've cherished & held on to all these many years.
One of the more difficult milestones is when you become aware that one of your early patrons or collectors has passed on, I've been aware of several in the past decade. Recently, I became aware of the passing of another collector. He and his wife were supporters, going to my art events and exhibits, plus being collectors, having acquired 4 pieces early on, a quarter century ago. His wife had passed on about 7 years ago and recently he has joined her. Together they had amassed an art collection of 274 pieces, they had donated it to a local art organization who are auctioning off, most of the collection. The couple had gifted 1 of my artworks to a beloved niece, but the other 3 are part of the art auction. Its quite a thing to see your artwork as part of an estate auction, especially when you realize that it was these, as well as many other early patrons that have continued to support my artistic endeavors, that have made it all possible. So without further adieu, I say thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart, for all your likes & support over all these years, its more meaningful and treasured than you know. ~Richard
The artist as a young man
from left to right that define eras and were I created in a a decade chronologically in the first 10,20,30,40,50,60 and the now as we move toward 70.
