What a great feeling when a perfect stranger purchases your artwork. You managed to touch that person and establish a connection that wasn’t there before. I’m not a famous photographer, so buyers don’t do it – yet – as an edge to their investment portfolio. They do it because they truly like it, and as an artist, it feels really good.
I do know when I come up with a winner. Most often it takes dedication: time, work, and a lot of patience. Sometimes it’s a case of being lucky, being there at a moment when everything seems to be coming into place. But luck isn’t enough. In my opinion, the toughest part is the ability to recognize the opportunity and not mess it up. This takes experience.
One of those winners is “Red Boat at Dawn”, made on a cold and foggy fall morning. A million ways to capture the scene, yet I set up my tripod the way I envisioned it, made a couple of tests and was happy with the third. I created two of my best photographs to date in less than two minutes apart that day, the other one being “Sunrise on Lake Pleasant”. The fleeting moment then passed. That little window was gone forever.
Both of these photographs appeared in exhibitions in New York and Paris. I won a prize thanks to them. And they now hang in a handful of collectors’ homes and offices. Yet something totally unexpected happened just a month ago. An author reached out to me and inquired if “Red Boat at Dawn” would be available for use as a book cover.
John Ethier was almost finished with his novel titled “The Little Red Boat”, and was in the process of looking for a suitable cover art when he stumbled upon my website. It seemed perfect to him, and I couldn’t agree more. We ironed out the details of a mutual agreement, which included a slightly edited version and has now been signed by both parties. I’m ecstatic that my photograph is now also a part of another artistic creation, and wish John great success with the upcoming release of his book. I was privy to an advanced copy and have no doubt it will be.
Here’s John’s take on our fortuitous encounter: Red Boat at Dawn.
Find out more about John’s book and writing here:
https://www.facebook.com/johnethierthefirst/
