Take a look at the beautiful pastel painting below. Doesn't it look familiar?
Last night I was browsing the internet looking for "pastel artists of Oregon", and was enjoying the gallery of Vicki Brink. This particular painting caught my attention because I was almost sure those were OUR canoes! So I wrote to the artist:
Me: "Vicki, I paint with pastels, too, and was looking through your beautiful artwork tonight. I was curious if you have ever visited Sparks Lake in central Oregon? You have two images in your galleries that feature "red canoes". My husband and I have identical red canoes that we often paddle with friends in that area of Oregon....and I just have to wonder if you had ever spotted our canoes and planned your paintings based on them? I know, silly question, but it would be fun to know. Your artwork is lovely. I hope to be able to paint nearly as well as you with my pastels someday. And maybe I need to do one with red canoes, don't you think? Dorothy"
To my delight, this morning I received an email from Vicki in response:
Vicki: "Dear Dorothy: I love it when serendipity happens like this. Yes that was at Sparks Lake!
I was there painting with a group in one of Richard McKinley's workshops (he's
my favorite guru) in July 2009. That just makes my heart sing that the owners of
those canoes are you! And then you turn out to be a fellow pastelist as well!
Just way too cool for words. One of those canoe paintings is owned by a friend
of mine. Wait until I tell her that you contacted me. She'll be thrilled just as
much. The paintings came more out of my imagination than the photos will attest,
but here's two of my photos of your canoes just to prove I was there!
Man! I just love this!!! And thank you so much for your praise. I'm honored and grateful to have seen and been inspired by your lovely canoes!"
Yes, she included two photos, (one was a close-up), but this alone is positive identification for me! Wow, 2009! I actually remember seeing an artist workshop being held there at the dock and wished I could linger to hear what was being taught. (But I know they pay good money to attend those workshops, so it would have felt like cheating if I just "casually" hung out a while. )
So what do you think? Is it coincidence that I found her website last night?
5 comments:
So cool!
How cool is that?!? I'm impressed you were able to recognize them. How fun.
I went back and looked at my 2009 Sparks Lake photos. That was the year David & Holly & Arora came out and joined us for one night. There was quite a group for at least part of the week. Mark did lots of floating around with his hat on - you snapped a photo photo of me towing him behind my canoe. :)
Yes - I remember seeing those artists at work, too. Not sure if it was 2009 or another year. Of course your canoes are featured - they're such a wonderful focal point. (I read somewhere that National Geographic photographers used to have someone put on a red shirt in photos that would otherwise be too boring.)
That is way too cool. I remember seeing artists too, but I don't know if it was 2009 or later. It seems like it wasn't that long ago that I remember them so it probably wasn't the same artists. How fun for you to connect with the artist.
No such thing as coincidence... I think you need to paint some red canoes!!
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