The title for this painting should actually be called My Wife’s Best Friends. I painted this little painting for my wife Carole on her birthday and it truly comes from the heart and it’s a good example of what I’ve been talking about tonight.
My wife, Carole, loves her stuffed animals; she treats them as if they had a life of their own. On Christmas a few years ago she was placing them in just the right spots around our tree so that they could enjoy Christmas too. As I watched her carefully opening each little box of ornaments, I realized how precious her things are to her. I also realized, as I often do, how precious Carole is to me and how much I love her. She’s my best friend in the world, always by my side. I often think about all the paintings I sign my name to and how they are really done by both of us. Her help, suggestions, advice and honest criticism are as important as any brushstroke that I put on canvas.
When Carole’s birthday came around that year, I wanted to give her something of myself. I noticed these two little friends of hers; they seemed to be alive, with feelings and love for each other. I painted this little painting for Carole. It truly comes from the heart. Her best friends are my best friends because they remind me of her, and I will love her always.
I didn’t paint it to be published but I sent a slide to Mill Pond anyway and they liked it so much that they published it and it was an overnight sell out. This is what I mean about an emotionally conceived painting.
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