Dear Folks,
Just before May, 2008

I shouldn’t be writing this tonight for I’m troubled. Troubled for I know some people who are going to try to buy paintings for the wrong reasons. Some of you are going to think that we have gone goofy due to age or whatever. Jan and I are in agreement on this one even though we do not talk about it in terms we both understand. Jan is a natural. She has had this uncanny ability to know or feel if selling a painting is right or not. The paintings do come from the heart with much effort, therefore, they should go to people whose life will be enhanced by owning them. Now I know we’ll never turn into a IBM or Toyota or Sony with our attitude but we will continue to be who we are believing that each painting carries a message to the right person.

Through the years we have seen people eyeing paintings without the ability to afford them. Many times they go to a smaller one they can afford but do not like and we both say to wait and buy the one they love when the can. I remember a couple from 5th Avenue, New York City who sent their Christmas cards from a different continent each year. They bought a painting paying the regular price and ask me to have the 300 Christmas cards made from the painting. I did as asked and charged about $5.00 an hour for my time plus the printing costs. They were amazed but said nothing. I was given every opportunity to make lots of bucks but didn’t. They didn’t buy us or own us or use us to enhance their feeling for self. They merely got what they wanted for a fair price. Later we saw another artist take them to the cleaners and be taken in return soundly without even knowing it.

It’s called integrity, I think. Something this nation needs to relearn. We have become so pressed for bucks resulting in loosing who we should be. I’m still troubled but think I’ll have a talk with the party in mind and explain the time for buying is later when we are all in sink. (Just talked to a beautiful learned lady who said it was spelled sync) I’m not sure sink is spelled this way when I mean in agreement or in harmony or something like that.

In a couple days we are headed for the Twisted Fish Gallery in Elk Rapids, Michigan. They raise cherries up there and tourists. Jan’s first job was in the cherry factory in Elk Rapids. She stayed with her friend, Barbara Guy Hanson and they pulled twigs and stuff from the line of cherries passing them. I give Jan’s parents much thanks for allowing their only child, sweet Jan, to leave from Saginaw for a good part of the summer to deweed cherries and be with her friend. Oh yes, Jan will have paintings in the gallery. It’s located on U.S. 131 about 5 miles north of Highway 72. Google it or GPS it. The owners are good people and Bob is making maple syrup at this very time. They cook it at night, all night most of the time. We will just be there one night and back here to do the things we always do around here.

It’s the next day and I just finished fertilizing the lawn and had time to think. I should be kinder to the frauds in the business as I was when young. I knew many and most were friends. I knew one young lady artist, who when needing money, would tell her boyfriend that Jane wasn’t home. She’d say Tilley was home. Her boyfriend new what that meant for he’d have to pay for lovin. A gallery wanted her to do quick, cheap work and she wouldn’t use her real name on the work so she signed the paintings, Tilley Moore. When she painted them she felt like a whore so Tilley Moore the whore was her other self. It’s true but name is disguised to protect the guilty.

I knew this guy who painted on velvet. Most velvet came from Mexico unsigned so anyone could sign them and be an artist. There were the Elvis paintings, American flag with Statue of Liberty and all of those you have seen in front of gas stations in the last thirty years. The guy who painted on velvet was a nice likeable cuss who painted quite well. He’d say he was attempting to make velvet painting become a legitimate art form. A young guy, about 30, inherited a bunch of money and thought the friend to be a great artist and his work would be worth bundles. The rich guy contracted to buy 100 of the velvets in one year for a handsome price. The painter said he was getting tired of turning out velvets to fill the order and wished he could do mall shows and have some fun. He did finish the order but no more orders were forth coming. I heard that the rich one paid up and tried to get gallery showings but finally gave up. Wonder where the velvets are now.

Enough for now. I’ll tell more next month.

June 28, 2008 ART RAPIDS. 10:00 to 5:00. Located at Elk Rapids in the park. If you can find Elk Rapids you’ll find the show. They are that friendly and small town. My cell phone number is 734258 0394. I promise to take it with me and be phone friendly. Oh yes, Elk Rapids is just up the road from Traverse City. It will be a nice trip at that time of year and we’ll take more work to The Twisted Fish Gallery in Elk Rapids. Jan’s first job was picking sticks and things out of the cherry line in Elk Rapids with her friend Barbara Guy Hansen. Time does fly by.

Sept. 13 & 14, 2008 ART IN THE PARK. Shain Park Birmingham, Michigan. Hours art 10:00 to 6 and 10:00 to 5:00 on Sunday. This is the best show in the area sponsored by Common Ground Sanctuary and very worthy cause.
If you need more info go to www. commongroundsanctuart.org. Remeer it’s org. not com. E are quite sure we’ll have a double booth to be able to properly show Jan’s work. Come visit and talk old times. Steve will be there and tell the story of us trusting him the first time we saw him. He and Sue have been dear friends since.

June 6,7,8 2008 ART AND AIR. Located in Webster Grove, Mo. Between Clayton and St. Louis on the grounds of Eden Theological Seminary at the intersection of Lockwood and Bompart Avenues, Webster Grove, Mo. 63119.
This is an artists art fair with artists in mind. It is a first for Jan who is honored to be one of the only 95 artists selected. You can GPS or google it to find directions or go to their magnificent web site http://artandair.com.
Hours are June 6 6:00 to0 10:00. June 7 11:00 to 10:00. June 8 12:00 to 5:00. Guess we’ll have to take our lights for evening hours. We will be staying with the Heckers and maybe Pat and Jan will be able to arrive later to the show and not work such long hours. We do have people in the area who own Jan’s paintings and I think they will like knowing WE WILL RETURN.