I made my decision about buying the art. Over the weekend I decided that I would ring the Royal Academy first thing this morning and see if the print run of Tracey Emin's Space Monkey had sold out. If it hadn't, then I would order one - I both liked it and appreciated that it would be an investment. And I would also order the Norman Ackroyd etching that I really, really liked and I'd worry about the expense later.
So 10am has just rolled around and I snuck off with the catalogue and my credit card to find a phone in a quiet part of the house. I didn't tell The Husband what I was going to do just in case he tried to persuade me that there were better things we should be spending our hard-earned money on at the moment (he's the sensible one in our relationship and, in this case, he'd be completely right). I rang the desk and got straight through and the girl who answered confirmed that the Tracey Emin had completely sold out. I wasn't at all surprised as the investment potential was obvious to everyone so there'd been a stampede. Oh well, problem solved.
I took a deep breath and asked about the Norman Ackroyd print I liked - she confirmed there were some editions available, so I ordered one! I now own one of these- it's called From Malin Head - Tory Island and is an island off the West Irish coast:
I'm totally thrilled. His pictures just do something to me - I get that visceral connection with them that makes me catch my breath. What happens when you buy from the Summer Exhibition (if it's a print and not the original, that is), is that they take a deposit from you and then, several weeks later, the artist contacts you by post and you pay the balance directly to them. You then get the unframed print sent to you to make your own framing arrangements. What I do is to place the invoice and the letter(s) from the artist into the back of the frame so that the provenance is all kept together.
After the phone call, I came back upstairs and told The Husband what I'd done. I said it was quite expensive and I felt a bit guilty for spending such money and I shouldn't make a habit of it, and he replied, "the pleasure you'll get from the picture will far outweigh the money it cost" - isn't he adorable?
8 comments:
Yes, he is adorable, and had the perfect response ready for you. Congratulations! For the art purchase AND the husband.
He is fabulous
You are very lucky. It is delicious
Yes Yes !! lucky on both counts, an adorable hubby and a Print that you are going to get so much joy from each time you look at it, and now without the guilt factor. Have fun choosing a frame when it arrives and then finding the perfect spot to hang it.
Since he probably makes you catch your breath as much as the print will- you're lucky to have them both in your house. Enjoy.
How beeeautiful! I'm so happy you decided to get it and so happy that Husband understands the deep call of art. What room will you put it in?
Ladies - my word, I cannot tell you how much the comments you've made about him have pleased The Husband. He agrees with all of them.
Ms Red Shoes - where to hang the picture is a bit of a conundrum, but we're (v-e-r-y slowly) redecorating at the moment so I'll decide when we're done.
LOVE the picture (and the sound of the Husband!). I think it is the pictures that you don't buy which you regret, never the ones that you do get......
quite right. the money's never there whether you save it or not, but the pleasure you'll get is unquantifiable. A good decision. Sometimes these things just have to be done.
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