A TRUE TALE OF ARTISTIC ADVENTURE. NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT PARTIES INVOLVED.
The artist had been commissioned to create a botanically-inspired one-of-a-kind wall sculpture for Prissilla, the petite-blonde-past-middle-aged salon owner, who also happened to be a distant cousin. The agreement allowed for Prissilla to pay for the art in installments, with the artist even willing to hang the work prior to the last payment being made, because after all, she is family...
The piece was finished before deadline, the teal blues and greens rendered precisely as ordered, a beautiful statement piece on the salon wall. Patrons oohed and ahhh-ed, Prissilla jumped up and down with joy, the artist was happy because she had done her job well. Plans were then made for Prissilla to call the artist when she had the final payment.
About ten days later, a chance meeting in a grocery store brought the artist and Prissilla together again. In hushed, secretive tones, Prissilla breathlessly told the artist that she had the final payment, and that the artist could pick it up at the salon the next day and that she couldn't wait for the artist to "see what I did to your art." Immediately queasy, the artist asked for more info. "I painted it. You'll love it," Prissilla replied. "I'm not happy about that," said the artist as she exited the store.
After a sleepless night spent imagining the endless creative possibilities she may encounter, the artist arrived at the salon, nervous, confused, and hoping it wouldn't be as bad as she feared. Stepping through the door, she could see part of the work from the corner of her eye, the sick feeling in her gut moving to her head. Walking back to face reality head-on, she was stunned at what she saw. Battle. Ship. Gray.
At that point, Prissilla appeared from behind the curtain, all smiles and hair flips, brandishing the final payment, and asked, "Well, what do you think? Don't you think it looks better now?" The only thing the artist saw at that point was the red of the matador's cape...
Artist: "I don't want your money. Here is the money you paid me already. Keep it. You had no right to do this to the work. You did not own it yet when you decided to ruin it. You could have called me to discuss changes. That is my name up there, and I will not have your mess define my reputation as an artist."
And with that the artist snatched the piece from the wall and headed towards the door. Needless to say, as Prissila tried to physically stop her, a verbal cat fight of epic proportions ensued, with Prissilla profanely spitting- out threats to call the police and "get my uncle to sue you!"
Safely in her car, the artist took the rescued work back home, where she had to answer to the police about what they defined as her "almost crime." Months later, she sanded-down and reworked the piece into something much more interesting. :)
72"x30" PAINTED PLYWOOD WALL SCULPTURE: Plywood, acrylics, graphite, stain, urethane. Signed and dated.
