Hi,
Whatever your plans are for this July 4th weekend, I hope it finds you well and contented.
Happy news here! "Cool Beans" has found a new home and I wanted to share with you an important insight. Here it is:
The title of a painting is almost as important as how well it is rendered. Although this little jar of seeds, and the story behind it, spoke to a lot of people, it was the title that moved a collector to purchase it. Almost as soon as she saw it, she thought of her sister-in-law who often used the phrase, 'cool beans,' to express herself when she liked something. So as her birthday approached, "Cool Beans" was the perfect gift!
Since it's July 4th weekend, let's take Norman Rockwell's "Freedom Of Speech," as an example of a powerful pairing of title and image. You know, the one with the ordinary rough-edged blue-collar fella in a work-worn jacket passionately addressing what looks like a local town meeting.
Rockwell could have titled it, "Working Man At City Hall." But how much more powerful is the title, "Freedom Of Speech," when you see that the men surrounding him are all dressed in suit and tie. This shows that he is not only passionate but courageous as well. Click here if you want to see that painting.
It always brings me pleasure when a painting is sold. Now you'd know that I was lying if I said that it's not about the cold-hard-cash at all. But it's not ONLY about that. In fact, it's not even mostly about that. It's about the validation. It's about knowing that my work brought someone pleasure, in this case a couple of someones. It's about getting to do what I love best, not just on weekends, but all the time...every day...for the rest of my life, God willing.
A happy and grateful Independence Day to you and yours!
Jan
