Meeting Your Favorite Artist who Turns Out to be a Mensch - Part 3
We celebrated my 67th birthday on Dec 11, 2023. Nice and quiet with Ashara, the cats, dogs and horses (always in that order). These days a nice non-Grunge flannel shirt is a fine present. That and take home Asian dinner. And a small chocolate cake of course!
A couple of weeks rolled by, close to holiday season and I saw a new post from the Roger Dean group on Facebook discussing another art show at the Trading Boundaries Art Gallery in Sussex, UK. What the actual paint-on-canvas? Is that Awaken I see in the background? Colorful metaphors ran around my head like ants streaming out of their hill under attack. Ever see those little buggers move when their queen sends mental messages to save the hill? Frightening actually.
The repartee began for the second time.
“Could I buy it?”
“YES!”
“Should I buy it?”
“UH…..UH…..” feeling the credit card in my wallet practically leaping out.
“Hold on, bub. We have a furnace that’s DYING and must be replaced. SOON!”
“We have a HELOC to cover that expense. So YES, AND it’d make a GREAT birthday/Holiday present to myself.”
“Gollum, Gollum.”
“Do it, man!”
I ordered the ‘I passed on this once before and not again’ print! Life’s too short. Synchronicity. It was meant to be and everything that that means. Was that redundant?
Hang in there and keep reading.
The print I ordered was upgraded to an Artist’s Proof which meant there were fewer printed (15 total in this case) and over time will increase in value more than a standard giclée print. The value for this particular print for me is totally heart-based and the potential financial increase is a bonus.
The order was processed and I received the first of several emails from the director of Trading Boundaries explaining how the print will be signed by Roger then brought to the gallery within a few days for shipping overnight direct to my home.
My heart didn’t jitter bug. It was awash in gratitude and joy.
Did I mention this happened around the holidays? One thing that I didn’t count on is how busy people are during that time of the year.
With family visits and other obligations for Roger my print would not be ready for a while. With regular communications the gallery director kept me informed.
I understood and waited.
Waited a week longer.
Waited even longer.
It was the first week of January 2024 and I waited some more.
I contacted Roger Dean directly through his website and received a response the next day. Due to planned and unplanned activities Roger was delayed in getting the print to the gallery.
Okay. I’ll wait a little longer. We're talking Roger Dean here, and he's communicating with me (!!!!)
On January 23rd I received this email from Ben the gallery director:
By way of apology to make up for the delay he (Roger) will also be drawing a remarque on the print! This will be a small original pencil sketch in the margin which can easily double the value of the print in the future and makes it a completely unique print for you, so I hope this will work towards making up for the lengthy wait you have had to endure.
Wow! That’s freaking sublime!
On January 24th I received another email from Ben:
I should note there is one extra little change to your order which I have only just been informed of when Roger dropped the artwork off. The reason for the delay was that the last Artist Proof print that Roger had at the studio, he discovered some damage on the print. So rather than try and fix the damage, Roger has decided to upgrade you to a Printers Proof instead.
The difference between the two is that the Printer's Proofs are not usually intended for sale and are kept as the gold standard comparison to make sure the rest of the edition can match the quality. As such, they are the rarest of the proofs. Out of the 140 in the main edition, there were an extra 15 Artist Proofs and just 2 Printers proofs.
On top of that, Roger has given you the number 1 out of 2 printers proof so this is essentially the absolute earliest in the edition and in my time with the gallery I have never seen one!
So once again I do apologise for the wait but hopefully the upgrade and remarque will make it worth the wait!
Hold the phone! I couldn’t believe what I read. Reading it for the second time I was moved beyond expression. A feeling of complete awe and gratitude for Roger’s generosity washed over me.
And, my eyes leaked. A lot!
The print arrived the next day and when the package was opened a few days later at a local art framing gallery I was overcome with emotion. This was even better than I imagined. Rich colors consumed my very being while the texture of the paper provided a depth to the artwork that reveals every nuance. The remarque blew me away.
This is Roger’s connection directly to my heart.
This strong connection through art is what we aspire to in the Enlightened Squirrel Healing Arts Center. As certified Master Gestaltists, Ashara and I bring years of experience healing our own traumas to guide people through their journey of healing.
The Enlightened Squirrel Healing Arts Center incorporates art therapy that involves the use of creative techniques such as drawing, painting, collage, coloring, or sculpting to help people express themselves artistically and examine the psychological and emotional undertones in their art.
We grok the essence of connections in all beings.
