Greetings,

 

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.

 

My husband just left to go "get his line wet".  Around here that means he's going to see if a fish wants to bite.  I should probably share that he is pretty much strictly a bass fisherman.  Large mouth or small mouth--no matter, but it had better be a bass.  I guess they are more fun??

 

But here's the thing about most bass fisherman:  they are catch and release people.  They don't play for keeps.  At least not until you get to the Pro level, and then they keep them just long enough to weigh them, and then back they (the fish) go.  Bass fisherman buy lots of cool colored baits, and lots of gizmos and gadgets to catch these large mouth bass, or small mouth bass, and as soon as they've caught them--they let them go.  To swim away and get caught another day.  The whopper of a fish story he told last week/month?  He could tell it all over again tonight, with the same fish.  What a concept, the possibilities are almost endless.  Catch and release.

 

At this point, let's remember that this is an art blog, and while I love a good analogy, this is not the time for one of them.  In fact, we had all better view this as a polar opposite.  If an artist catches someone's attention with a painting, to the point they want to take it home with them, then I say at that point the release part of "catch and release" becomes a bad word.  A wrong word.  A much-to-be-avoided word.  We'd better be thinking in terms of keep.  Catch and keep.

 

No silly, I don't mean keep the painting, I mean keep the patron.  They just gave you a vote of confidence.  They just told you with their checkbook that they like what you are doing with the paint brush. 

 

And you would release them??? 

Not stay in touch??? 

Not send them a newsletter now and then??? 

Not tell them when your next show is, and where???

 

Ha!  I thought you'd see it my way.  Now go send out a few post cards or something.  An email note, or a newsletter.  Show that patron the new paintings you've been working on.  Whatever.

 

Catch and release is for fisherman.  Catch and keep is for artists. 

 

Later, Cooper

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  • Thanks Karen. I just got back from northern WI. My father-in-law caught no fish. But I made time to label, stamp & mail 900 postcards because the most likely person to buy from me already has at least one piece. Last night I sent the e-mail newsletter to the 300+ on that list & posted this weekend's show on Facebook. Not only catch & keep, but also know where they are lurking, waiting for your next painting/print/show/info. Safe travels and dry weekends to all. . .
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