Exciting times

One of the most exciting evenings of my life
as an artist happened the night I won
Best Portrait, for this odd little painting
submitted to the Don Valley Art Club
spring show. That year the judge was
a man who travelled extensively for
Windsor Newton. In choosing my painting
he said that he had just been to a show
of portraits at the Tate in London, and
that my work was equal to anything there.

Wow! There were oohs and aahs from the
crowd, and a friend of ours rushed away
from the room and purchased the painting
on the spot. The evening was not only
wonderful, surprising and a hit on every
score. But the funny thing was that because
it was a self portrait, it never occurred to
me that someone would buy it. I had painted it more or less as an artist's joke
for my family, because my true artist's costume, is a pair of paint covered jeans
and an old sweater. But this was funny.

The moral of the story? Have fun painting, because the art
world is full of surprises.

Have an exciting and surprising day.