Remember and Inspire.

"Coffee Klatch" 4"x4"  Oil   Jan Dale    sold

Trading; We do it every single day of our lives. 

Truth be told, we do it practically every waking moment. 

It starts when the alarm goes off in the morning and we trade the comfort of our beds for whatever compels us to leave it. For me it's automatic. I know that trading a little comfort now will allow me to continue eating and sleeping IN-doors. Rising early also rewards me with some pretty awesome sunrises and time to reflect on what's most important to me.

I won't lie though. A good strong cup of coffee to look forward to helps.

And there I am making another trade; a foggy head for a clear one.

By thinking about what we are actually expending and what we get in return, we tend to make better and more consistent trades, ones that will serve us longer than if we chose to be random or obsessed about a price tag. 

So then what does this have to do with art?

Once a few of my small paintings sold and I got to hear the perspective of those who bought them, I began to realize the true value of a compelling artwork. The lady who purchased my tiny painting of birds gathered around an old abandoned corncrib in a wheat field was not buying a painting. She was trading a few little pieces of paper for a childhood memory...and the chance to relive it every time she looked at that little four inch oil painting.

Before that event, I considered buying other artists' work to be simply out of my budget.  But that little epiphany changed my thinking forever and I began to collect other people's art. And you know what? A strange thing happened. I have all but forgotten what I paid for those treasures. But I will never forget how they make me feel. 

And this has made me think of my own art through other people's eyes.

My best works are those with a compelling story. Stories of hope, courage, and perseverance. Stories of calm, faith, and wonderment, of creatures needing each other and stories of laughter. Stories of simpler times and gentler people. 

I want the work of my hands to make people feel comforted.

So if you feel nothing when you see my work, just pass me by. For you I'm only a speck in a sea awash with artists who are more likely to move you.  However...

If you see my little chickadee perched on a paintbrush and it cries out to your creative heart,...or you see my jar of squash seeds and recall helping your mother plant a vegetable garden, then you have the rare opportunity to trade a little cash for the joy of re-living that comforting memory every time you look upon your new treasure.

What about you?

Are you an artist struggling to find your voice. Paint what moves YOU! Others will feel your passion too.

Are you looking for beauty and comfort that you can hold in your hands? I may have something for you at 

jandalefineart.com  or on Instagram @jandalefineart