"Good Night Irene"

 

I had to smile when I heard the band at my last art venue singing "Good Night Irene".  It's a song my Grandpa used to sing and some of my brothers occasionally entertain us with at family functions.  A song from the past can evoke memories and warm fuzzy feelings (or not so warm) instantly.  I know that art can do the same thing.

Spending the day at an art venue can be pleasurable.  Yesterday was one of those days in Arizona with blue skies and the perfect temperature.  I had my good friend Bonnie to share my canopy with.  Between her beautiful jewelry and my oil paintings we brought in our share of customers.

After several hours the interaction between myself and customers can become rote courtesies.  When I heard "Good Night Irene" I decided to try to make a connection to my customers based on the painting they were drawn to.  If hearing that song could bring warm memories of family gatherings to me, why not see if I could connect to my customers on a more personal level?

The results were amazing.  I don't think it resulted in more sales, but it made my day so much more interesting!  A lady attracted to my car series owns three cars that she's entered in shows.  She gave me leads in case I want to show my paintings at some local car shows.  I made friends with a couple of locals that are decorating their apartment and were drawn to my plein air paintings.  We had an interesting conversation about Sedona and the "spiritual vortex" of some southwestern regions.

I've been told that narrowing my painting to one theme and one style could more easily result in a successful career.  Galleries generally want an artist to be consistent.  I have a feeling that restricting my creative efforts to one style or subject matter may have turned away that nice lady who liked my cottage painting.  I wouldn't have seen the smile on her face when she showed me a photo of her grandchildren standing in her Michigan garden.  Art, like life, is about sharing.

I'm going to see if I can talk my brothers into singing "Good Night Irene" when I go home to Iowa for Thanksgiving.  Maybe I'll snap a photo of them and paint a warm fuzzy feeling to hang on my wall!

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!
http://www.maryopat.com