The Art of the One night Stand

It's not as it first seems.
No, I have not been unfaithful to my lovely wife, its about Art, funnily enough.

On Monday night, I finished a painting which I had been working on for a very long time. Through all its stages of development, through paintings on and scrapings off, through phases of OOH and AAH and Aaaaargh, it has been part of my life, a courtship phase in the quest for ultimate satisfaction.

The painting was finished, and I sat down on the floor, glass of Glove covered wine in hand and considered it, and thought, hey I like you a lot, I'm really pleased and I'm looking forward to having you in the house for a while.

less than 17 hours later, it was sold.

I get attached, perhaps too attached to my paintings, they grow on me and I like to see how the colours develop in different lights, and moods. I love to see how the painting makes a difference to a room, and reflect on how the relationship began and developed.

I am delighted that it is sold and that it is going to be in an amazing new home, owned by someone who really loves it and will enjoy the care, love and effort which I put into it every day. But at the same time, I will miss it, as it has been part of my life, my imagination and my studio for all that time but at the same time am proud as the painting has proved its worth and will continue to do so as long as it remains hung.

As Kids growing up and moving out is part of every parents life, so paintings developing and being sold, I guess is part of an artists life. Like a one night stand though, I cant help wondering if it could have come to more, if I could have done more, made it better or done something differently. These questions cant be answered, because there is nothing to answer to, if I didnt think the painting was finished, I wouldnt have called it finished.

Still, its and interesting thought.

Derek