Perhaps one would think I was totally out of my mind that day. They may have thought the same the day that I burned up $135,000 years before that. I guess it’s debatable, right? Well, some thought that I must be crazy if I without even a second thought could destroy over 50 paintings and $160,000 worth of my work.
I must say…NOTHING could be further from the truth.
Taking this approach was actually a very difficult but honorable thing to do. Some artists spend their entire life holding on to their art. They never “finish” a piece. They never try to sell their art. They just want to hold onto it and admire what they’ve created. I get it, I’ve done it myself. But taking action when it’s necessary is what’s most important.
Why did I REALLY do it?
That’s easy for me to answer. If a painting is not up to par, and you let it hit the market, it will only weaken the market that collectors have spent their hard earned money on. They’ve invested in you as an artist and it’s our job as artists to continue to help increase the value of their investment.
By doing things like destroying original artwork that I’m not comfortable with releasing, it limits the number of pieces I have out there. In result, it strengthens and protects the collectors that have been collecting my work over the years. This is not an easy thing to do, but it’s both cathartic and the right thing to do.
When I did this, it made the local newspapers and word spread pretty quickly. Causing a scene at the gallery. I’ll never forget the day I threw $160,000 down the wood chipper. Perhaps it’s time for me to take a look around and evaluate things once again.
It wouldn’t be right for me to share some of the original artwork that I have available for sale now. Below you will find three pieces which are examples of the types of pieces that I did not destroy. They are for sale and many others.
If you’re a fan of any type of original art, specifically, oil paintings, I have a number of series displayed on the website and all the original artwork is available for purchase (if not already sold). What may be there today may be gone tomorrow. Lastly, if you’re interested in receiving updates on the latest work the day that I release it, feel free to join the group that I communicate with almost daily.
If you’re interested in reading the original newspaper article, you can check it out here.
