When Dreams Come True

You may remember, a few weeks ago, we told you about the painting that Melissa Payne Baker created at the gallery with the help of several young, talented and energetic children, who all happen to have Juvenile Diabetes.

As always, when trying something brand new, we were a little hesitant about committing one of our artists to the daunting task of creating a painting with the purpose of raising money for a cause. What if it didn’t work out? What if it nobody bid on it and it didn’t raise any money? But we are also all very committed to the cause and it was clear, as the artists whipped out their magic and the painting started to unfold, that our fears would soon dissipate. Melissa and her team painted a gorgeous, vibrant and touching painting that had us all swooning over the end result. In fact, I knew that I’d be the first to bid on it at the gala and was already secretly plotting where I would put it.

And then the big night of the gala arrived, with all of us dressed to the nines, but none looking more beautiful or angelic than our lovely artist, Melissa Payne Baker.

Melissa stood by the painting, with her wonderful husband Rick by her side, and posed with many of the adorable children who had contributed to the art.

Melissa and Rick Baker

Melissa with Amelie and Mitchell (who, by the way, is the single best fundraiser you will ever meet!)

With cute Claire.

And proudly posing with their gorgeous work of art.

Remember that Melissa asked all of the artists to write down their dreams, and she incorporated them in to the final painting.

Some dreamed of becoming artists, or actors, or astronauts. While others dreamed of being able to do sleepovers, or never having to worry, or being able to eat lunch without having to go to the nurse and get shots. All of their dreams were poignant and heartfelt. And all of them strengthened this already powerful painting.

And then, drum roll, the moment we were all waiting for. In my mind, the highlight of the live auction, with Melissa and Rick proudly displaying the beautiful painting up on stage, while the artists posed in front.

The bidding began at $2,000 and quickly rose to $5,000. I raised my hand eagerly a few times over, until I realized that it was going out of my league. And as much as I wanted the painting, I couldn’t have wished for anything better.

$10,000 and we were sure it would stop there. The kids were ecstatic! The parents were cheering! I was in disbelief. And like a fast moving ball game, the bids continued to bounce around the room. And then the words that made us all cry:

Going once.

Going twice.

Sold, for Twelve Thousand Dollars!!

Thank you Melissa. Thank you artists. This was a dream come true.

Tata,

AH

PS The Atlanta JDRF gala raised a record whopping $1.6MM for this event. Congratulations to all. We were thrilled to be a part of it.

How does she do that?

We’re lucky here at the gallery to spend our days surrounded by a wide variety of intriguing and wonderful paintings. We both agree that one of the most rewarding virtues of owning a gallery is the relationships we get to build with our artists. It’s true that we are like a little family (with one of us usually playing the role of the indulgent father and one of us playing the role of the nagging mother – with role reversal happening on a daily basis!). We spend a lot of time thinking, talking, and communicating with our artistic family members and have developed long-lasting friendships with them.

About two years ago, a charming and fresh-faced artist crossed our path and we were instantly taken not only with her sincerely lovely and honest personality, but also her wonderfully abstract and meaningful paintings. Her name is Melissa Payne Baker and she’s a hot young star at the gallery these days.

This was one of the first paintings we ever received from Melissa…Colorful Reflections in Blue II, 36 x 36”

An early floral...Through the Mist, 12 x 12”

Melissa’s early work with us centered around her strong faith and the motifs of such: angels and crosses rendered barely visible in a background of swirling paint and texture.

One of Melissa’s crosses from an early series

We loved them and apparently so did our clients because they literally flew off the walls. Melissa was heavily influenced by a personal story that involved some sad elements: a child, an illness and a promise to keep the spirit of that courageous child alive. Hence, the subtle but elegant angels and crosses that filled her canvases.

We love how the cross gets a little bit abstracted in this piece…Faith XI, 8 x 8”

Here’s the fun part for us: we get to watch our painters evolve, develop and grow. These days, Melissa’s work has morphed into energetic, heavily textured paintings that are full of movement. She’s working right now in a gorgeous palette that incorporates deep browns, beige, cream and all sorts of shades of blue and we are ga-ga about them. So are our clients, including many designers.

The cross motif is subtle but packs a visual punch.

Angels going abstract, how fabulous is this palette??… Renew, 20 x 20”

Here are some examples of the wonderful art that Melissa is creating these days.

Melissa Payne Baker

This tiny angel literally flew off the wall…Tiny Angel II, 6 x 6”

Melissa painted a series of these for our Grand Affair show and we had fights erupting over them… Gentle, 36 x 36”

We love the muted sophistication of this one…Believe IV, 10 x 10”

Melissa channels her inner abstractist with this dynamite painting we all lust after…Everlasting II, 30 x 48”

Here’s a video where Melissa demonstrates her technique to creating her wonderful, layered canvases:

Did we mention that Melissa is unfailingly professional, polite and works incredibly hard at her craft? And that she has the looks of a blonde bombshell?

Here's Melissa with her equally adorable husband, Rick.

Melissa is a great example of why we Huffingtons so love what we’re doing here at the gallery. Every day is a treat. And every delectable work of art Melissa brings us is a truly a feast for the eyes, heart and soul.

TaTa!

HH

Hats off to ... A Heart for the Arts

This falls in the category of: Why didn’t we think of that?

A grouping of fabulous paintings, a touch of mystery, a surge of excitement, a rush to buy, and all of it benefiting a good cause. Why didn’t we think of that? You can be sure, next time we will ...

As art gallery owners and appreciators of fine art, we attend our fair share of art shows and benefits. Such was the case last week with the opening of A Heart for the Arts, the Atlanta based Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School Fine Arts Alliance annual fundraiser. There was the usual display of fine art paintings, sculpture and jewelry, mostly done by local professional artists, and all representing a broad range of styles and genre. And then there was something that really caught our eye and kept us mesmerized and guessing: It was a grouping of 70 or so small paintings, all 5” x 7”, painted on linen board, each one colorful and fun and completely different from each other, and not one of them signed.

Snapshot of what the “Mystery” boards looked like

As you can imagine, it was practically pandemonium, with everyone rushing to buy one of these precious, small jewels for $50. Was it a Picasso? Or was it a third grade artist? A celebrity baseball player? Or an established artist? You didn’t know until you bought it and that’s what made it so fun.

Ann’s loot from the show, “Rocky My Dog” by PGA golfer Anthony Kim

The “Mystery Artist” board was organized by Leah Henry, who, in addition to being President of the Fine Arts Alliance and a very talented and respected artist in her own right, is a true visionary with lots of marvelous ideas for promoting fellow artists and helping them give back to the community. She, and a group of volunteers, got over 70 people across many industries, to paint (or draw, or do a collage, or write …) on the linen side of the board, and to leave it anonymous so that people viewing it wouldn’t know who had created it.

Leah showing “Rocky My Dog” his new home at HH

We were involved in this idea peripherally when a few months ago, Meridy King, an haute priestess of interior design in Atlanta and a Huffington favorite who happened to be coordinating the volunteer project, asked us if some of our artists would be willing to participate. We love working with Meridy because in addition to her exquisite taste and gorgeous use of materials and color, she has a tendency towards the unexpected and a keen appreciation for art. So we knew that whatever she wanted, we'd happily help out.

Meridy King and the “Mystery” board

We approached several of our artists and they were delighted with the challenge, the fun and the opportunity to do some good. So among the artists, the celebrity interior designers, the pro golfer, the TV newscaster and scores of other interesting folks, were several Huffingtons, holding their own. In fact, we liked Melissa Payne Baker’s painting so much, we suggested she try to do some similar ones in the same palette, but larger.

Melissa Payne Baker’s “Mystery” creation

Look what she came up with? How great is that? Great enough for another blog, another time!

Another Huffington artist, Elizabeth Stockton, was also featured in the show as was Bonnie Beauchamp Cooke. We were delighted to see a drawing by famed Atlanta interior designer Suzanne Kasler displayed below Elizabeth’s painting. Kasler depicted one of her famous quatrefoil chairs that we’re all dying to have in our home.

Stockton & Kasler stacked

Image from Hickory Chair Furniture

Bonnie Beauchamp Cooke

Other notable contributions…

MOCA’s Tijana Graham

Georgia’s First Lady, Mary Perdue

Artist Jan Eubanks

Artist Ruth Barrett

Artist & President of the HIES Fine Art Alliance, Leah Hopkins Henry

Real estate maven, Glennis Beacham

Lynn Rainey

Interior designer Dan Carithers

PGA golfer, Anthony Kim

And as for the idea of the Mystery Artist? it was such a great idea, and so much fun for all, we may have to borrow the idea ourselves some day, and we’ll know whom to credit: Thank you Leah, and thank you Meridy ...

Ta ta

HH