I have always wanted to be an artist and one of my heroes in the art world is Peter Max, someone who I have respected for many years. A couple of years ago I wasn’t sure if this was for me any more and whilst I had never set out to make millions from selling my art, I needed to get by, and I wasn’t, then life threw me a bone. I discovered that I was acquaintances with the daughter of Peter, I couldn’t believe that this girl I had known for such a long time had a dad who I have loved for so long, and I didn’t even know! I knew this was my chance and so I just sent her a Facebook message, asking if there was any chance she could put me in touch, and that is where it all began.
The Connection
Claudia actually gave me the number for one of Peter’s agents, which was fine by me, and I contacted her the next day. I told his agent who I was and perhaps over-egged how good friends I was with his daughter, to my surprise they arranged for me to go to his studio the following day for a chat with the main man himself, I couldn’t believe it.
The Meeting
At the meeting I knew that this was my shot at trying to get an endorsement from an already established and highly successful artist, I took my best work and prepared my pitch. When I got there he was so casual and very quickly it just became a chat about art and inspirations which we have drawn from. I showed him a piece which I had done which he jokingly said that I stole from a gallery, high praise indeed. Now Peter says that I didn’t look nervous during this meeting but I can assure you that I was petrified, I felt like this was my last chance. Peter and I chatted for an hour and then he bought a small piece off me and we bid a fond farewell. I was happy to have had the meeting, but it came to nothing and I was devastated.
Not So Soon
About a week had gone by when the phone rang, and it was the number of the agent who I had spoke to before. She told me that Peter had asked me to prepare 5 pieces based on a certain theme, and that he wanted to buy them from me. Naturally I got on it right away and a week later I was back in his studio with the pieces. It turned out that Peter didn’t want to buy them from me, he wanted to put them in an exhibition he was doing and knew that if I though they were for him, that I would do my very best work.
That exhibition set me up for life, I have spent the last 3 years selling my art for prices which I cud never have dreamed of and I am still friends with Peter, and still doing exhibitions with him. I am eternally grateful for what he did for me but I am also proud of myself because I saw a glint of an opportunity and I turned it into the chance of a lifetime.
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