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Simulgasp at the unveiling
Hi!
I started this in the WIP section and I hope this is where actual unveiling pictures from an event belong as this was a small milestone for me. I thought I would share these with you as I always enjoy seeing other unveilings. Before I go on I must thank the MANY people here who helped me through this painting with their guidance and encouragment. You all are insanely selfless.
I feel more comfortable now that the recipient of the portrait has recieved the painting to tell a bit more about the portrait. I was hired by a committee from a company called Centric Group here in St. Louis to paint a portrait for the 30th anniversary of the CEO as a gift to him from the company. They asked that he be painted alongside the founders of the parent company (this is where it gets good and sounds better) which is Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Big company! Exciting commission. The man in the center is the CEO and honoree. The gentleman to the left is the founder of Enterprise and the gentleman on the right is his son and the current CEO. They are wonderful and gracious people. How I lucked out getting this I will never know but it has been an experience I will not soon forget.
I was invited to the anniversary celebration along with many executives of the company and family members expecting that the portrait unveiling would play a minor role. To my utter shock, the portrait was the focal point of the evening! Talk about nerves. I have never had a formal unveiling for a painting in my whole life. There we were, roughly 100 people in a beautiful golf club when the committee chairman called me from the crowd to introduce me. My knees wobbled. Following that, the velvet fabric that covered the painting was lifted and all I could think was, "What if someone asks who the guys in the painting are." LOL. Potential nightmare. I held my breath, the "curtain" went up and all I heard were the gasps of 100 people followed by applause. I told a friend of mind it was like a simulgasp (to coin a new word meaning simultaneous gasp). Once the blood came back to my face I felt better. They were very pleased and I didn't pass out.
Below is a photo of the final piece as well as some photos from the event which brought me more business already! Hooray. My hot tip of the week would be to seek out an opportunity, even on a smaller scale, to have an unveiling party for your paintings. It offers excellent exposure, a great way to meet people including potential clients, tests your cardio-health, and is a darn good exercise in public appearances.
Thank you for indulging me. It was certainly the highlight of my month if not the year.
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