I am filled with gratitude today as I sold my first painting.
My son Ben named it Scales of Fire. I completed it at the end of September last year, and recently added three coats of varnish so it was finally ready for sale. My friend Tania loved it from the very beginning. It was by far her favorite painting I had done so far, and she always wanted to see it whenever she came over.
Her husband decided to buy it for her as a birthday present, which I got to give to her in person. It was such a beautiful gift to both of us. The first painting I have sold is going to someone I love and care about deeply, and now I get to see it hanging in a new home. It is an honor.
For a long time, making things has just been something I do alongside everything else. No pressure, no expectations. Just curiosity, and the need to create something with my hands. Letting something leave that space and enter someone else’s life feels like a new journey. I am approaching it with openness, curiosity, and a touch of nervousness.
I signed the back of the canvas. Not like labeling something, but like standing behind it.
It’s not perfect. The lines catch on the texture, and the ink breaks slightly in places. But it feels honest. I didn’t want it to look printed or polished. I wanted it to feel like it came from a human hand, because it did.
Creating something for yourself is one thing, but putting it out into the world brings a certain vulnerability. Today, I let go of my first original painting. It was a surreal and beautiful moment.
Thank you James and Tania.