I now walk across the street after a day at the Gallery and talk to the guys at the Barber shop. John and Steve. They make me laugh. Think about it. They are talking to people every day while they cut their hair. They are in the business of hearing and telling stories.
Our local hero is Bud Anderson. He is a WW2 triple ace and was partners with Chuck Yeager who lives in the next town up the road. Anyway, the Military Channel was in town 3 weeks ago as they filmed Bud geting a hair cut across the street. His pictures line the wall of the shop. He's walked into my Gallery and told me some good stories.
I just love this town. And I love the people. They have supported me and encouraged me to keep on keeping on.
So just the other day. This guy called Francois ( franswaah ) walks in . He eventually tells me that he is a retired chef. He tells me he was real famous. Okay I sez to myself... How famous Francois? Well... he sez... I was the crew chef for several James Bond Movies. He sez he has a stack of articles about himself and that he was the master chef on some super cruise ship . Okay . He says he will cook for me someday. ... So what do you do now Francois? ... I'm retired he sez and I do what I want. And what I want to do is Artwork... Great! Hmmmmm. To make a long conversation short... he is into Venetian Plaster and wants to plaster one of my walls at no cost. He sez he likes me and wants to do it for me.
I love this town. So this weekend. Francois and I will do some Venetian Plaster on our accent wall. They will go nice with the Persian rugs that Michel Kent Murphy traded me.
I am humbled by all the people that want me to succeed!
I now have enough good stories to be entertaining at a boring social function!
Like what Frank ?.... the guy who came in who worked on Micheal Jacksons Dance Studio .... the Gal who came in who was the star of Beach Blanket Babylon in S.F. .... the guy who does cartoon voice overs and the geologist who came in today who was a walking wikipedia..... okay... that might put you to sleep!
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It sounds like your days are very entertaining. I've often wondered how artists get any work done when they have open studios.
ReplyDeleteThere is this wonderful place in Alexandria, Va called the Torpedo Factory. It's an old building with three floors of working artists studios that are open to the general public to meander around and meet the artists. Maybe you've visited it?) Do they paint all night to make up for talking all day to visitors?
They're all dressed to the nines and not a dab of paint anywhere on their clothes or hair! And these are the artists I'm talking about not their models.
I'm certain they also paint at home in peaceful, calm environments and in their pajamas.
But back to you...more people want to buy paintings from people they've met and talked to so I'm certain all of your "connecting and listening" will pay off. (Just don't stop your blog when the huge windfall comes.)
Frank - seriously - you must write these stories down (or at least record them) and put them in a book someday. Perhaps "Auburn Anectdotes of the Artist"?
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