Holding the dream

I'm always busy with art, but never too busy that the prospect of a new commission doesn't excite me greatly. Last weekend I was gallery sitting for one of the many exhibitions I'm part of over August and was delighted that a woman expressed interest in the two tango paintings I had got there, amongst others, and wanted to buy the original tango painting I did, which was illustrated on one of the cards I was selling. Unfortunately, I'd sold it two years ago and told her so, but was quick to point out that I could easily repaint it as close enough to the original that she wouldn't tell the difference, if she wanted it badly enough. She then went on to tell me that she actually wanted two tango paintings for her dining room, as they would match the decor and I agreed it was a splendid idea and said she could design them however she wanted the dancers to be and I would paint them gladly for her. She agreed to commission me, we agreed a date in the week for her to come and see me and for me to show her my studio and discuss between us her ideas. She left. I was floating on cloud nine - not one delightful commission but TWO!! Yay!! But I know the way things go and am of the painfully learnt opinion that until the money for a commission is in my hand, I haven't sold a painting. I'm a very optimistic and upbeat person but also realistic enough to know how people are............. And sure enough........... a couple of days later she rang me to say that ALTHOUGH she STILL wanted the paintings, and had taken her husband to see my work and he REALLY liked my paintings too, he felt that it might be a good idea to WAIT until the building work was completed on their house before commissioning me to paint the pictures, so it would probably be better to wait until after Christmas (CHRISTMAS?????!!!) or perhaps even the spring. Ok I said, trying to sound bright and keep it businesslike, and came off the phone a lot less buoyant than when I'd answered it.........

But this is the way of buying art. Other things take priority. Art gets put to one side. And I understand that because mortgages, food, clothing, petrol and household expenses all have to be bought before art. But, and this is also the way of art, she might well come back to me, at some point in the future, and ask me to paint those pictures for her, and I'll do them, competently, completely and design the pictures she is carrying in her head, and she will love what I do, and put them on her dining room wall and all her friends will admire them and fall in love with them too........