Monday, November 19, 2007

To sell cucumbers to the gardener...

The title is the approximative translation of a Romanian saying. When you put yourself in the ridicule (or, sometimes, favorable,prestigious) position to talk philosophy to Plato or religion to the Pope... The favorable, prestigious position being when Plato asks for your advice concerning the Ideas or the Pope asks you how he should formulate his next encyclical... Well, let me tell a (short) story... a full-time artist, who doesn't have "independent means" has to participate at all kind of exhibitions, symposiums etc. to try to sell his/her stuff... In 1993 (I think, it could also be 1994) I was taking part in an Art Symposium at Bromont (a small turistical town, renowned especially for its Chocolate Festival). All kind of artists were there - from the color photograph reproducers to the gestualist abstract ones... The Honorary President of the event (it was in August and was sleeping in my car, the 2 nights of the 3 days)was Michel des Marais, a very nice painter, specialized in Quebec landscapes with sheep (no sheep, no Michel des Marais original...) He's an artist who do very well for himself (especially since his wife seem to be the financial manager). A Mercedes SUV proved the thing without any possibility of doubt...

And, folks, Michel des Marais, nick-named The "Prince of the Sheep" bought the my above reproduced Portrait of a Sheep! I wasn't expensive, of course, me not being the Prince of anything (and owning, at the time, a 12 years old small Mazda 323) but still: to have The Prince of the Sheep buying from you a Sheep Portrait... not bad, not bad... So that's about it. One of my happy moments... Someday, when I'll be the Prince of something, maybe I can go arround in a new Roadtrack motorhome, doing the art symposiums in the vast Quebec or even in the even more vaste Canada. When I'll arrive in the US (Taos, New Mexico), I'll consider myself the Prince of Everything...

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

That sheep does look sheepish, though. If I were a sheep I would feel offended.

Anonymous said...

I'm not surprised that the gardener liked this cucumber. He had probably never seen a lamb like yours. I bet his own stuff didn't have such bright colors.
Judging by what you post here, you'll be the Prince of Nudes
100swallows

Ion Vincent Danu said...

cantueso: it's a very special sheep... an african sheep I found a photo in an ancient National Geo. I thought, on the contrary, that she (or he?) had a certain character...

G: Look higher...and yes, his own sheep were even more meek and nice, pastel colors. He really liked it, I can tell that and payed $ 125 (for me, at that time was not bad for a 10" x 12" canvas)... I certainly hope to be that Prince you speak of and, like solomon, have some models warm my old bones... in all purity. I will caress with my eyes almost exclusively... and I'll be content even with the title of Count of Nudes...since count Dracula lived not very far from my native place...

Anonymous said...

Mioritza laie, laie bucalaie...

Dane, iata ca ai revenit si "la oile noastre". Fie vorba intre noi, oaia asta seamana mai degraba a lama peruana, ceea ce este inca un... semn ca marile spirite (cel "carpato-danubiano-pontic" si cel incas) se intilnesc unde nu te astepti...

Eu unul ma astept sa te distreze comentariul asta, iar daca nu, ma rog frumos de iertaciune, ca nu-i bine sa te ai rau cu nimeni, mai ales acum, in prag de Sarbatori.

Ion Vincent Danu said...

Ovidiu, mon ami, oaia era africana, de o rasa pentru noi cei din Marginime, bizara... dar te-ai apropiat, un pic, in sensul ca nu e o oaie de-a noastra, neaosa...

Anonymous said...

I love this peaceful little sheep. Beautiful colors!

Ion Vincent Danu said...

And you see, moonbeam, she's also proud. She is keeping her head up even if probably she didn't eat uch lateley...