Yay or Nay?

A recent art opportunity brought me to the rocky coast of Massachusetts. Rockport, MA. Quaint and rugged this sweet town rests at the tip of Cape Ann with the Atlantic Ocean hugging its coast.

I had been working with Peter the owner of Alpers Fine Art for a few months over which we discussed our new association and representation. What paintings would I bring to the gallery for his review? Conversations back and forth thrilled me as the fit seemed perfect. Correspondence via email with jpegs attached led to more and more vibrant chats. Jpegs images while convenient don’t always provide a complete viewing experience. They often don’t fully express the whole artistic story. The expanse of larger compositions can’t truly be appreciated through a small jpeg image. Most paintings benefit by being seen in person. The intricacies of the brushstrokes, the juxtapositions of color, the subtleties of special created moments need to be explored by the human eye…

The date of delivery and our first in person meeting had been set for the gallery’s seasonal reopening, April 18^th. Last Friday the journey began at 7am. The cargo space in my car housed ten paintings in varying canvas sizes and compositions. First my husband Jon and I were to drive from Central Vermont to southeastern New Hampshire to drop off a recently sold painting to a new collector. A lovely and brief interaction was had before we were back on the road and off to Massachusetts. Nervous anxiety and a steady level of nausea plagued me as we made our way south. The true test for representation and determining factor would be decided by Peter upon seeing my paintings in person. My heart and soul exposed were at the mercy of an in person yay or nay…

Growing up in Massachusetts I certainly had visited Rockport, but it had been more years than not since my last trip. Maybe not since early childhood but I vaguely remember a family trip when our children were young. I think I do anyway. I recounted to Jon a vivid memory I had of my mom and dad enjoying lobster rolls while sitting on large boulders taking in the stunning ocean view…

The gallery is centrally located amongst a delightful mecca of shops, restaurant s and more galleries. We rolled up to a parking space right in front of the gallery. A wooden easel just outside the entrance displayed a painting by artist Janis Sanders. Bold and exciting colors draw one’s attention to his exquisite art and entice the passerby to want to see more. A large front window also exhibited a painting by another artist represented by Peter. The short approach to the gallery leads one quickly into the warmth and light of a curated contemporary art collection. Each painting expertly hung, labeled and properly lit.

We began to bring my paintings in and place them in a particular spot for Peter to observe my work. I was eagerly looking around the gallery to view the pieces on the wall and immediately felt the relief and ease of belonging even before my pieces were formally accepted. Each artist’s voice was different, but a family of contemporary artist jumped off the pristine walls. A community I was very excited to become a part of…I felt at home.

I reveled in the different. The unique. The world of contemporary art where exploration and imagination exist in each brushstroke. Quick and certain while others long and dramatic. I was fascinated to understand each artist’s vision. Their voice in paint…

Having a voice and offering something different has always been my want as an artist and writer. My voice may now be stained with age, weighted by experience, but I am more creatively driven than ever. Never has it been more important to have a voice than now…

A painting teacher who became a dear friend offered me the best advice on work and ultimately, life. Stay true to yourself he would say to me and remind me about doing so often when he would see me struggling with doubt and insecurity.  Remember who you are as an artist. Don’t try to imitate anyone else. It is not a matter of being right or wrong in art but being true to one’s vision. Acknowledging what is intrinsic and authentic to me would serve my work well. Wilbur would explain this to me countless times. Listening closely to one’s inner artistic voice is paramount when doubt creeps in as it inevitably and insidiously will do. Remember your unique voice. Like my work or not? The “yay or nay” is a forever consequence of a creative life but there will always be the matter of integrity. What else do we have?

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”
― Leonardo da Vinci