First painting sold
Last month while visiting my daughter I received an email from a stranger:
“Hello! I left a message on your home answering machine (I hope) today around noon. I found a wonderful painting in a store in Louisville today – it was signed by you in 1976 – a close up of cattails against an early morning or late afternoon sky. I believe you painted it in college – and if you're interested, I'd like to send it to you – please let me know if you'd like it back.” He left me his phone number and email address.
Stunned and delighted, I wrote back: “Oh my word, I'm SO excited to get your message. I'd love to see that painting again. It was the first one I ever sold and it hung in the president's home of a midwest college. Even to have a good photo of it. Thanks for your thoughtful investigation." The following day he responded:
I really would like to send the painting to you. It's yours and I'm certain it's where your painting belongs.
I have found a number of things over the years as I search for record albums (my hobby), and I've always tried to send them back to their rightful owners.
Your painting was in a stack of framed "art" (prints, etc..) in a Louisville Goodwill store. I'm an artist as well - I am now a marketer, a graphic designer, an illustrator, I earned two years' studio art credits at the Art Institute of Chicago while in a highly competitive high school advanced art program, I've been the director of an international art gallery - I only mention this because when I saw your painting, I was quite certain it was very good - worthy of saving, finding you and getting it safely back to you. How it left Hillsdale and wound up in Louisville is beyond me.
I'd be pleased to send it to you if you'll reimburse me for the cost of shipping and the very modest purchase price of $15.29. Sorry about that, but I don't set the market price at Goodwill!
The frame appears to be original, but it looks a little heavy, a bit like the 1970s and is scratched and scuffed - do you want it as well? I can safely remove the canvas on it's stretcher and ship that way or send the entire work, frame and all - your call.
I've never lost a shipment yet - and I once found a beautiful canvas by a Haitian artist who had moved to Holland - I tracked him down, shipped it via USPS and he received it unscathed.
Do please let me know what you want.
I am very struck with your painting - I caught my breath when first I saw it. I'm glad I rescued it. For your first sale, you were quite an accomplished artist back in 1976, and I admire your current portraiture - thanks for writing back!
He'd done his research as the painting was only signed with my first name. MELVIN had been written on the stretchers since the work-in-progress had been stored among other student work in the art studio at school. And, well, when he saw my wix art website he'd see the style was the same. Cal and I were only two hours north of this benefactor, visiting a new grandson, so we arranged to meet him halfway before resuming our road trip the next morning. He prevented me from taking a photo of his presentation, preferring “to always be the mysterious art lover who saw your work and set out, determined to make sure it found its way home to its talented creator.” To his graciousness, I dedicate this post.
