A watercolour of mine painted 22 years ago has turned up for sale on Ebay here.
Judith I Bridgland, Glasgow City Chambers (Watercolour, 1990)
The Ebay description says "Commissioned piece from Glasgow city council for there Glasgow smiles better campaign (sic)".
Not the case!
Back in 1990, Glasgow was European City of Culture, and I was working as a typist whilst trying to start out as an artist. I exhibited paintings with Art Exposure Gallery, who supported artists like myself who were trying to get a toe on the ladder.
The then Lord Provost of Glasgow, Susan Baird, was (as far as I remember) coming to look round the building where the Art Exposure Gallery was based. The gallery owner suggested that it would be a great idea if I presented the Provost with a painting during her visit - good publicity both for me and the gallery.
Now, this was a big thing for me - I only took home £10 a day with my typing, so I was probably giving away the best part of a weeks wages, as well as the time involved in making it.
On the big day, the Lord Provost smiled politely when I gave her the painting, and went away with it tucked under her arm. I couldn't guauge how it had actually gone down.
I can't say that I got any publicity, payment, or indeed anything else out of it, and I always wondered what happened to the picture. Did the Provost like it? Did it hang in her office? Was it somewhere in the City Chambers? Or did it just go in the nearest bin?
Twenty two years passed....and I heard no more about it until this week, when it popped up on Ebay!
So just where has the picture been all these years? Isn't life funny....
Not the case!
Back in 1990, Glasgow was European City of Culture, and I was working as a typist whilst trying to start out as an artist. I exhibited paintings with Art Exposure Gallery, who supported artists like myself who were trying to get a toe on the ladder.
The then Lord Provost of Glasgow, Susan Baird, was (as far as I remember) coming to look round the building where the Art Exposure Gallery was based. The gallery owner suggested that it would be a great idea if I presented the Provost with a painting during her visit - good publicity both for me and the gallery.
Now, this was a big thing for me - I only took home £10 a day with my typing, so I was probably giving away the best part of a weeks wages, as well as the time involved in making it.
On the big day, the Lord Provost smiled politely when I gave her the painting, and went away with it tucked under her arm. I couldn't guauge how it had actually gone down.
I can't say that I got any publicity, payment, or indeed anything else out of it, and I always wondered what happened to the picture. Did the Provost like it? Did it hang in her office? Was it somewhere in the City Chambers? Or did it just go in the nearest bin?
Twenty two years passed....and I heard no more about it until this week, when it popped up on Ebay!
So just where has the picture been all these years? Isn't life funny....
Really great post to read and a nice picture to see.It is great to see that A watercolour of person painted 22 years ago has turned up for sale on Ebay here. This approach is usually adopted with a view to increasing the percentage of the sale price the artist themselves receive.I had visited sites like Exporting Art which have started from scratch and now has earned a good place for themselves.
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