Hello Million Friends,

During my last exhibition, I was next to a woman I had never met.  Her art was religious Calligraphy with painting around and over the text.

“This is my first show, can you give me some advice?” she asked.   Sure, I can give you plenty of advice.  Keep going, work from your intuition.  If you don’t feel comfortable after a meeting with a gallery owner, you would be wise to accept that and move on.  As with any business, this is a learn as you go career.  Oh sure there are many marketing tools to use, but there are twice as many unpredictable scenarios that can result from anything having to do with being a artist.

She was nice enough to watch my space so that I could look around.  As luck would have it, someone interested in buying walked by and asked about a painting while I was away.

Oh yea, one more piece of advice, DON’T LEAVE YOUR SPACE WHEN THERE’S A POTENTIAL BUYER COMING BY.  

I always bring the bald head with me for fun and conversation.  The  looker  was interested in my “Bald Head” painting, very interested, because it reminded her of her father.  Yes it ” looks just like the back of his head, I’ll be back later in the afternoon to buy it”.

I present….drum roll…”Bald Head” aka “Advertise Here”.

A few years ago I planned on doing a series of bald heads, I’m not sure why.  But some bald heads have a lot of character, it’s the bone structure.  When you see someone from a distance, you will know them by the shape of their head.

Another reference photo for Bald Head series, his shirt is more interesting.

Moral of the story, if a painting gives a looker warm fuzzies it’s for a reason, and a collector is born.  The relationship here was between the looker and her father.  The last paintings or note cards I sold were to nurses at doctor/dentist office that I’ve been going to for years.  They know me, it’s all about relationship again.

It’s all about relationship, amazing!

Pray for peace,

Chris

Hello Million Friends,

After going through photos and prints of works from years gone by, here is some botanical whimsy!

Spring Climbing – Pastel Print on Paper – 8″ x 10″

I purposely sized it at 300dpi so you may print one for yourself or use it as a desktop image.

By the way Spring is Climbing in all directions so you can also decide which way is up!

Pray for peace,

Chris

Hello Million Friends,

The party last evening was a celebration of life and to show our love and support for Rick Jones.  Rick, a supremely wonderful human being in the fight of his life.  Please pray for him, prayers really do help!  What can I tell you about Rick?  Sum total, Rick Jones will give you the shirt off his back.  How lucky to know and love such a great man.  Did I forget to mention he’s handsome to boot!

Rick Jones

As I write this post my heart swells with joy for the opportunity to see my many great friends in one room from the beauty industry last night.  These are friends I met while working as a manicurist before I was a full time artist.

We have a bond, it’s a kin to working with musicians.  And many of the stylists are artists themselves in their work or free time.

At work we fought, loved and disliked each other’s annoying habits, but after all these years…we’re a family.  The fact is, while working in close proximity to co-workers or passing by the coffee stand I couldn’t help but  listen.  Some talked too loud, or laughed so loud it made my ear drums beat intermittently.  Some were hot some were cold, it was a fight to the thermostat.  Everyone had different tastes in radio stations.  After working a long day the conversations would run around in my head and I couldn’t sleep.

My last stint (circa 1997). I look dazed and confused. The look I was born with.

I had many standing appointments consisting of Doctors, Lawyers and Indian Chiefs.  They never missed their appointments, it was their life sustenance.  Through rain, sleet, snow, and leprosy they were like the post office, never missing a beat. I often wondered how this all came to be, but I was grateful for the business.  Day after day, week after week, year after year, it was a revolving door of life progression before my very eyes.  Some hairstyles  looked better on the way in than out.

They all came for different reasons.  Some wanted to know the gossip of the week, some wanted me to entertain them, some wanted to keep me up to date on their colons and hot flashes.  I can’t neglect mentioning those expecting a perfect manicure or pedicure… YIKES!!  My favorites were the clients that came in for quiet time whether they needed a manicure or not.

Eventually I felt as if I was in a time warp or an Indy movie, watching wrinkles appear on their faces but not on mine.  After a few years I knew their life stories, illnesses, spouses habits, affairs, etc.  Ranging from a medical type person who was married multiple times and I manicured each spouse, to a government official’s spouse, and a man of the cloth who liked to flirt with me then preach a bit when I called him down on it.  Someone even asked me when I was getting my nose fixed.  It was a mixed bag, but I learned to roll with the punches, I had more TKO’s than Mike Tyson.

Early in my career a man walked in during a shift change and demanded money from the 19 year old receptionist.  She said “Are you kidding?” No came the response and he pulled out a gun.  That wasn’t a good day.

In the midst of this my father retired from his 30 year career at the gas company and worked part time at Salon Tino with me.  He was the 62 year old “towel boy” and he also swept hair.  At work Dad would frown, shake his head and say earnestly “I hate to see you working on peoples feet!”  So right back at him I would say “I hate to see you washing towels and sweeping the floor!”  Never the less he said it over and over so and I never forgot his little shame on you speech.

A very interesting job to say the least.

I wanted to give Rick something personalized so I created a charcoal portrait of him when he had long braided hair.

Rick Jones Portrait in Charcoal

Christmas Party 1994 or 1995
(Left to right) Rick Jones, Terri Walker, Faye Walker, Christel, Mary Ann Olig

Stephanie Rowe, Rene, Rick Jones, Caroline Bredin (circa 1995)

Pray for peace,
Chris