Page 68 of The Bad Boy's Homecoming
“I’m extremely excited to talk about art with you,” Rose said and ushered her toward the wall of her work.“I see so much passion in your work.”
For the next hour they spoke about where Missy learned to paint, how she worked, and how a gallery might enhance her career.But when Rose asked her what inspired the batch of paintings the gallery had already acquired Missy didn’t talk about Levi.She didn’t want to share that with anyone.
“Well they certainly are romantic and emotional.Although you may express everything you are feeling on the canvas, you can choose to tell people anything.I will warn you, at an exhibit everyone will want to meet you and ask you what your work means to you.”
“What do your other painters say?”
“It varies.Some give every detail of every feeling they had when they created a piece of art.Others are vague and quiet,” Rose said.
Missy could see the woman had a preference, but she wasn’t sure on which end of the spectrum she sat.
“It’s important for the artist to decide, or you risk closing yourself off from your creativity.If you feel too vulnerable it could hurt your current work, so I’ll leave it all up to you.Only you can decide.”
“Okay.”
“Missy, the art world can be very cutthroat, and it is feast or famine for some artists.I recommend you speak with an artist’s agent to determine if you’re comfortable with the terms we’re offering.”
“Are you an artist?”
Rose smiled.“Yes, or I was.Now I run this gallery and surround myself with other artists.Up-and-comers, established artists, in every medium.”
“It sounds wonderful.”
Rose nodded.“Once upon a time I had my first gallery exhibit in New York.It was a huge splash.Every painting sold for large sums of money.”
“I sense abut.”
“But I barely made enough money to pay my rent, and I was under contract to produce a dozen more.”
“That’s why you’re telling me to consult an agent.”
Rose nodded.“You should never blindly trust anyone in business.And sadly, especially the art world.”
“Thank you.”
“So I’ll send you over the contract and a list of art agents you could reach out to.You’ll want an attorney to review the terms as well,” Rose said.
“How many pieces would we need for an exhibit?”
“Ideally twenty to thirty of various sizes.You’ll want a different vibe throughout the collection but also some cohesion.”
Missy could feel the trepidation rising up her spine.She didn’t know how to do that, or if she should commit to it.
“Walk with me and I’ll show you an example,” Rose said ushering her into a larger room that had high ceilings and reminded her of an art museum.
They walked through the space into two smaller rooms, and Rose was quiet.She let Missy observe the pieces done in a very different style to Missy’s work.
“I think I understand, but do I determine the flow, or do I produce as much work as possible and then you choose?”
“We can work on it together, or you can have complete control.My preference is to at least see the pieces you are on the fence about, because we can test different flows.As the curator, I would love to put a collection together, once you’re sure about specific pieces, but this is your story to tell.Your art is your image, your brand, and it is important for you to choose.”
Missy sucked a huge breath of air.“Okay, I better get home and get to work.”
“Is your hand okay?”Rose said, pointing to the small wrap Missy used to cover the wound on her hand.
“I accidentally burned my hand but it’s recovering, and luckily I’m right-handed.”
Rose nodded.“I’d like to aim for an exhibit in one month.Do you think you could have twenty more pieces by then?”
