Am I on the right track after all of these years?

My dear friends, collectors, and fine art lovers,

I often wonder how the general public and, even more specifically, my collectors, feel about art and those of us who spend our lives making fine art.

 It might be the melancholy that seeps into my mind by yet another day of freezing temperatures and endless drifts of snow. But I do wonder if, after nearly 70 years of making art, if I am on the right track? 😊 Is it worth (to you and to me) the interminable hours spent alone in my studio while I try to imagine what the next great painting might be, or maybe the next not-so-great painting will be? Those not-so-great paintings never, ever see the light of day. Perfection, or as close to perfection as I can try to present…in my eyes, are the only paintings that earn a spot in my gallery. The others? Are put into a do-not-behave closet. Believe me when I tell you that even the most seasoned and successful artists occasionally find themselves working on a painting that simply refuses to behave! 😊

It is, in general, a difficult and quite lonely lifestyle to be devoted to my chosen craft. In my area of the world, on my beloved Peninsula, Cape Cod, art is very seasonally driven, at least the sale or collecting of art is. It is in the cold months that I spend my days creating and thinking about such things. So, I wonder…. how do YOU feel about art…in my case…how do YOU feel about visual art, IE, paintings?

Do my paintings bring you joy? Do they make you happy? Does looking at a painting I have spent months creating do anything positive for you emotionally or spiritually? What emotion does my work bring to your life, if anything at all?  That, my friends, is my sole intention when I paint. So please, tell me, does my art move you in a positive direction?

Do the paintings that I have spent endless hours creating, or the paintings that you’ve already collected, bring you joy, add anything positive to your life? I hate to be so blunt with you, but it is this friggin cold and morose winter 😊 That brings me to the question, a question that is deeply important to me. Creating these positive emotions is what I have dedicated my life to, since I first picked up a paintbrush at the age of eight. Please understand, I am not in any way fishing for compliments; this is a far more serious and well-thought-out question than a poorly crafted ask for a compliment. I ask you because lately I have been considering retirement, except for commissioned paintings.

Creating joy, bringing happiness and calm into the lives of those who are kind enough to be driven by their love of my paintings, those who find enough joy in my work to collect them, and even those who visit my gallery and find real enjoyment by simply looking at my work. I think that the vast majority of you understand very well that when you collect my art, you are, in fact, also collecting a part of my heart and soul and something that is part of me in the most profound way. All I can possibly say about your kindness and support is, thank you!!! From the bottom of my heart!!!

I am asking the above questions because I am trying to get a sense of whether it is time for me to step back, or if my work is pertinent enough for me to continue as I have for the last decades.  I am just wondering if it is time for me to step back and make room for the next generation of emerging artists… many, many of whom I have enormous respect for! There is so much fabulous young talent on the art scene these days, and I hope that all of you will support them as you have done for me! I sincerely look forward to your responses!

With Great Affection and Respect,

 Julia O’Malley-Keyes