Monday, October 20, 2014

Red Rocks, Joshua Tree Revisited - Part of a Joyful Project

Red Rocks, Joshua Tree
Oil on canvas, 40x60
Commission

At a show about a year back, I met a nice couple who loved my work. They were in the midst of renovating a house they'd just bought, and they thought they wanted one of my sunflower paintings in their kitchen. 

We made tentative plans for me to visit and see the kitchen, the house and the colors, but the wacky winter weather, and then my California trip, kept delaying our meeting. Eventually, I was in their area for a show, and I was able to visit, and we all agreed that one of my sunflower paintings would indeed look great in their kitchen. 

They came then to that show, and realized that they also liked the paintings from my California Calling Painting Extravaganza. The one they liked best was one of the ones from Joshua Tree, in California. 

So in the middle of the summer, I set about making paintings for their beautiful, friendly home. I delivered them on Saturday, and I must say, they look fabulous! 

A project like this is wonderful for me on so many levels. It's great to have the sales, for sure. But even more than that is the joy of having my paintings hang in the homes of people who love them enough to buy them, and let them into their daily lives. 

This happens with every sale, but most of the time, I don't get to see it. Most of the time, I only get half the experience. With commissions, I am more involved with the ongoing life of the painting, and with the very personal decisions of content, colors, sizes, even where and how high to hang the pieces. 

I was also honored that my paintings are the first pieces of art Pat and Bill have bought together, and the very first to be hung in their home. 

It's sort of a miracle life I'm living here, and an experience like this one crushes mountains of doubt. It reinforces my belief in the decisions Peter and I have made, and reassures me that I'm on the right path. 

Here's Pat in the living room with the Joshua Tree painting. 

Here's the sunflower painting in their kitchen. 

*** 
EARLIER IN THE YEAR, I wrote about the 2014 Paws for Charity Project, an art book and related items that raise money for an animal shelter in Nova Scotia. The project, in which I've participated for a few years now, is run by Sara Harley, who also created the book of my California Calling Painting Extravaganza

Sara has now made some related items for the Paws for Charity Project. For sale on Blurb are coffee table books, e-books, notebooks and 2015 weekly planners. Profits from sales of these items also go to the shelter in Nova Scotia. 

The photographs and paintings of animals in the Paws for Charity Project are just great. I know you'll enjoy them, and I hope you check them out. The items would make great Christmas presents, and all for a good cause.  

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I THOUGHT THIS this was funny, a lawn on a truck. I know it happens everywhere, 

but it just seemed so compact, and so perfect, I had to take a photo. 

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Dog of the Day

I MET THIS GIRL at the show in Williamsburg. You can just see the edge of the pink bow she had in her hair. She was a sweetie. 

Want your pet to be the Dog of the Day? Send a jpg to me at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com! 




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