Saturday, June 1, 2013

MY VERY OWN O'KEEFE




When I had my art gallery, I had a 12 x 12 show where 20 artist friends graciously donated their work to benefit our local museum. It was a smashing success…live music, good food, huge crowd of art lovers, and a nice sum of money raised.

In the years that I was an art gallery owner, it never occurred to me to not invite the artists that I came across to have a show in our small in the middle of nowhere town. Several prominent artists expressed to me that our show was the best they’d ever had in both attendance and sales.

Thank you town where I live!

That’s how I met my very own Georgia O’Keefe. Her name is Marilyn and her work is exhibited in several very exclusive galleries in the US.

If you were to meet her on the street, you might think she’s a grandmother (she is) who drives a farm grain truck (she does) whose aging hands have held a shovel (they have) rather than an artist’s brush(they do).

The first time I walked into her home and studio, I saw this picture and fell head over heels in love with it. I never forgot it. And crazy as it seems, thought about it often.

Recently, we were fortunate enough to purchase two of her pieces and visited her studio to choose them. I asked about the birdbath and she told me it had never left her house and it was not for sale.

I understood.

But later, this is the email she sent me.

Gina..... Upstairs as I am painting..... I keep getting drawn to the little birdbath from Ramon Kelly's garden at his old Church/Studio....... It is as if for some unknown reason...... it needs to live at your house. This is really unusual. It was an early fall day, first snow the night before, about 5 artists were just really doing a fun paintout complete with wine.... That's what came out in about 2 hours or less..... never touched it again..... It is again, one of the pivotal pieces, where shapes are strong even though the values are close. It is 18"x14" image size. It has sentimental attachment, as I said, I really don't want to sell it, it has never been shown.

She gave it to me as a gift for purchasing the other two and it now LIVES at my house.

I don’t know if you have ever had the fortune to be in the presence of something or someone greater and bigger than you will ever know. But that’s how Marilyn is..larger than life.

Her work is wonderful today, but she will be known long years from now and this little birdbath picture will hang in someone’s house who I dearly love and may not even know yet myself.

I’m sure it will find its way to where it wants to live next. But for now, it belongs to me.

9 comments:

tracylynn said...

How many times I have set in this room and not noticed this picture...strange because it is beautiful. What a neat story!

momto8 said...

what a very cool and deep down beautiful story!!!!

DevotionMama said...

The Scripture and a Snapshot community has a new home. I'd love to have you link up! http://devotionmama.com

chateau chic said...

What a lovely gift and sweet friend!! Beautiful painting too!
Mary Alice

Sarah said...

This is a beautiful story. It's gifts such as this that one will forever treasure. I have a piece of art that was a gift from the artist. The artist happens to be a dear, dear friend. I didn't expect it! She painted a piece and immediately knew it was for me. It proudly hangs in our home, and it's one of the pieces that almost everyone comments on. Thanks for sharing your beautiful painting and the story of how it came to your home.

Alison @ The Polohouse said...

I love this painting and what a wonderful story!

Have you read a book called "Girl in Hyacinth Blue"? It reminds me of how you described your gift as how it will someday move on to be loved by someone else someday!

)The book takes a Vermeer painting and makes a fictional journey back through time tracing the many owners of the painting through hundreds of years. Lovely.
Think you would like it!)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/321577.Girl_in_Hyacinth_Blue

Hope you had a great weekend.
Thanks so much for linking up, sweet friend!


xox
Alison

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

There is a special presence that a work of art from not just a GREAT artist, but a friend can make in our homes, non? That this piece is now in your home makes it even more priceless. And thank you Gina, for coming to see my little house. Anita

Mr Paul said...

A beautiful story and such a lovely picture Gina. Have a great week. X

Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...

Oh my gosh, I'm not sure how I missed this beautiful post. I love the story Gina.