After having just finished 2 festivals and sold over 30 paintings in less than 10 days (!), I learned a lot about what appeals to others. Or maybe I learned that I don't really know what appeals to others! I did realize that, in general, my work achieves my mission: to lift up the beauty of the natural world and to instill a sense of peace and serenity.
I also learned that my very favorite paintings and not necessarily the ones that appeal to other or the ones that are purchased. The painting above is one of my favorites - but not one that drew most people into my booth or elicited the most comments.
I recently went through all of my paintings and took a long, hard look at them. Some were put in the "to be sanded pile". I will paint over them. Some were put in the rework pile. I am now able to see what will make them a stronger painting. Others were put in protective sleeves, and my favorites were framed. I sold a lot of unframed paintings in those protective sleeves - just going to show me that my favorites are not necessarily the favorites of someone else!
I also learned that there are a lot of really kind supportive people out there who are interested in art, and in beauty. Thank you to everyone who took the time (and braved the heat at the Brandywine Festival!) to come see my work and talk to me. I enjoyed meeting all of you! Thank you for your support.
