Getting Lucky in a College Town

I attended the Santa Fe College Spring Art Festival in Gainesville April 1–2, 2017 and was really fortunate to both collect an Award of Excellence and sell a painting! It was somewhat redeeming to be acknowledged in this particular judged ranking (top-to-bottom ranking goes: Best of Show; Award of Excellence; Award of Distinction; Award of Merit). Only last month I was in my hometown, and couldn't muster any acknowledgement of the sort. A slight "clash" with the judge from the get-go occurred on what was — and was not — "photorealism" and it was all downhill from there. It's been said, only respond to questions and shut the hell up, otherwise, when it comes to talking to judges...

The painting Every Little Thing Gonna Be Alright couldn't have been sold it to a better patron. He's an author and radio host on the topic of dream journaling, dream recall and dream integration.   Originally I sold him a print, but he contacted me online later the first day of the show to say he wanted the original painting. Of course, I've been given the "I'll be back" line before, but we met the next morning before the show began and sealed the deal.

To my own amazement, as much psychic energy as I put into that work, it left me with no pangs of departure whatsoever! It couldn't have gone to a better home, and may all my positive energies pass on to whomever may view it henceforth.

While I am somewhat acutely attuned to my own intuitions and senses, I simply take them for granted as everyday experiences, and don't put much emphasis on their significance, though I note their symbolism. Thanks to Sting's Jungian songwriting, I used to log my dreams, and journal, but I think I put too much emphasis on hoping some cure-all would come of things, and soon. So I trailed off. These days I rarely dream, or at least have recall. And not all dreams are positive — I once awoke from a dream of kicking an attacking alligator in the snout, only to find my wife's feet at the other end... A reason not to dream, perhaps.