COLLECTORS RESURFACE FROM AFAR

I open my booth at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday July 7th in Breckenridge, Colorado for the 39th Annual Breckenridge July Art Festival. A couple appear immediately and scrutinize all my paintings. I mean, every single piece in the booth, small, large and huge. Then they approach me, “We bought a piece of yours in Sausalito, California 19 years ago. Then, we found a painting of yours on eBay and bought that too. But we couldn’t find you. We recently retired and moved to Loveland, Colorado. Found your website, saw that you’ll be here, and came.”  They bought a canvas painting, and almost three more. 

That same day, I saw a woman walk by, who had bought with her then-boyfriend a small painting of mine, at least 10-12 years ago. I said, “Hi Kathy.” She smiled shyly. We talked about how the painting left together with her then boyfriend when they parted, and how saddened she was. She bought two large pieces that day and couldn’t believe I remembered her ex-boyfriend’s name, height, Harley, town of residence and many more details of their story.

My memory is fading like my grandmother’s did, it’s hereditary. But, some names stick in my mind due to unique interactions.

A week later at the 4th Annual Silverthorne Fine Art Festival a woman enters my booth and says: “It’s you ! Gosh I recognized your work from afar! I bought a painting from you many years ago. In Breckenridge. You let me take it home and come the next day with a check. I was shocked that you trust people like that.” Turned out she bought the painting in 2009. 

The most satisfying for me in all this, is when the resurfacing clients of years by say, “How I love to look at that painting. It gives me joy every day. Here, I’ll send you the picture of it, hanging in my house. What’s your email address?”