Tuesday, November 29, 2005

A good outcome


Sometimes a good idea goes bad. There is a cute store I like and the owner bought my whole line of greeting cards that I created for a wonderful company, Marisol Inc. Years later this lady opened another store and I placed my own line of cards and boxes in the new place. She mentioned that a lovely little children's shop opened down the way and I should show her my kids line. So I did, this is where the good idea gone bad part comes in, she indeed placed a few things in her card rack and I noticed she did not have any gift certificates in her children's store. I mentioned that I could come up with something really cute and that gift certificates would be an excellent addition for the time pressed buyer and kids love to pick out their toys etc. She was very interested and asked me to paint a picture using her logo (elephant on a swing) and if she liked it she would have me make postcards/gift certificates. When she asked what my fee would be, she balked saying she did not really need this item. I thought about it for a minute and said I would own the original and she could use the art and buy the postcards from me. Then I pointed out that she could charge a small price for the full colour card and envelope and it would advertise her shop and she would not be out of pocket on the cards once so many of them sold. I don't normally do this but I thought it would be fun for me to paint , it would be good for her business, plus lots of kids would get these fun gift cards. She agreed and approved the art, the postcards were printed and she bought just enough to cover the printing cost that I laid out. She did not make the job easy and she was not very fun to work with. I was left with over half the inventory and the cute painting. I felt dumb for offering my services to someone that did not get it and really did not appreciate my efforts. I blamed myself , I should have left quickly when she did not want to pay for my services, at the time I thought I was doing something nice.

As luck would have it things always work out. I was asked for a donation of my work for the San Diego Children's Hospital. I was in the middle of a huge project and did not have time to make a painting for the auction. It suddenly occured to me that something good could come out of this fiasco so I made a darling frame for the illustration, mounted up a bunch of the postcards on greeting card stock with envelopes and sent it off to the benefit. This hospital makes a point of not turning away any child, so they need help through fundraising.

The custom framed painting sold as a package with the cards and is hanging in someones home who loves it and the proceeds helped a child.
I always wanted to paint a circus tent (Clown House) so I got what I wanted too!

copyright 2001 go ahead and steal it.

16 comments:

valerie walsh said...

Right after I posted this the Daily Buddhist Wisdom email arrived
Here is what it said:
When all the myriad streams that flow in different places, each with it's own colour and taste, enter the great ocean,they blend and become just one taste, with one name, In the same way, stupidity and wisdom both become one in the awakened mind.
When one first starts along the path, there seems to be a distinction that this is stupidity and that is wisdom. But later, when one penetrates more deeply, one finds there is no difference between stupidity and wisdom.
-visuddhi Magga

Kelly said...

nice story...and thanks for the nice comment on my "small" illustration!

Cream said...

Very nice story. Behind every cloud as the saying goes, there is a silver lining!
Great of you to help out the hospital. Very satisfying!

carla said...

So things worked out after all! Don't ever doubt the good spirit that prompts you to offer yourself to people. It's one thing to be a doormat (which I don't imagine you are) and quite another to be helpful and open to others. This is a really wonderful, faniciful painting, certainly worth the time it took to create. And look what good came of it!

Artbrella said...

Nice illo with good stories...thanks for dropping by.

Jules said...

Yeah! It really is all about karma sometimes.Your work is so happy, I love it.

andrea said...

It's karma, Val! I must have saved up some karma myself because today I lost the diamond from my ring ... and found it! I have no idea what made me look at my finger and I was sure it was long gone, but looked down anyway to see it twinkling there, tiny though it is, in the middle of a downtown sidewalk. I was dropping paintings at a dealer so maybe it'll rub off and one of them will sell!

Charming charming illustration. I'm so glad it worked out.

valerie walsh said...

oh I really hope you have a big success with the gallery andrea and I'm soooo glad you found your diamond too!

Thank you all for your supportive comments it really means a lot!

Janet said...

Yes, nice story, and wonderful happy ending!

Caroline said...

Wow I was about to comment on the story but I'm stopped in my tracks by your comment... last night as I fell to sleep I "got" the difference and the sameness of things that are combined... it just depends on your perspective whether you see them/us as separate or not.

scott said...

hey val, nice card and I feel so in tune with what you are saying and your first comment is a treasure
love eni
(and his mate

Liz Wong said...

This is a really lovely illustration. Glad something good came of it. I love your work!

Jen said...

Wow, I really like your blog! The colors you use are beautiful and I love the way some of the forms are flattened or distorted... this is really cool!

Dana S. Whitney said...

See... I was going to ask if you still had cards... because my darling daughter is a fan of all things elephant... Instead I'll send her a copy of the link and she can see it for herself.... I'm glad everything worked out... the store owner got something at the price she could apparently pay, the hospital got a bargain, and you won, too. Brava.

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

My mum tells me all the time, 'when one door closes, another opens.'

This was a door opening in a different way.

Unknown said...

Love the elephant!