This week-end I am taking part again in the Thornton Art Trail. I have had the good fortune to be allocated to a very welcoming private house, in which it has been possible to display my work to advantage. On the first day of the event there has been a good flow of visitors. My general satisfaction with the occasion, however, has been quite overshadowed by the response of one particular visitor.
I decided that I would display the “boxed constructions” I made many years ago, based upon family relationships. It is a long time since they were given an airing, and I decided that they have not had the exposure they merit. Because they are so personal, however, I refrained from pricing individual works and posted a general comment to the effect that I invited anybody who wanted to buy a piece might make me “an offer I can’t refuse”.
One visitor was attracted by one of the pieces, and I invited him to make an offer, if he really was drawn to it. His response has left me reeling, and indeed quite overwhelmed. He said that any offer he was able to make would be an insult. The fact that he was evidently deeply moved convinced me that he actually meant it. I shall cherish his remark to the end of my days.