When I lived in Rochester, I used to have a Black Friday sale the weekend after Thanksgiving. It was a chance to sell unframed work at discounted prices and see and thank my collectors. However, I now live in a town of 3,644 permanent residents. It just wouldn’t work.
Anyway, Black Friday was just an excuse for a party. I can’t compete with Walmart or Target on doorbusters, and nobody is going to get in a 6 AM fight in my gallery. I don’t have pallets of flat-screen TVs wrapped in shrink-film, and my idea of a limited-time offer is when the last streak of sunset slips behind Beech Hill.
With a large family I have Christmas shopping of my own to do, so I too scan Black Friday sales. As always, I’m struck by how ephemeral the stuff on deep discount is. Many are bargain gifts that recipients will have completely forgotten by February, which is why I’m impressed when people like my friend Sharron put their effort into warm hats for the needy instead of focusing on shopping.
I understand that we have to shop. And there’s excitement in the chase. But here in my studio, the only line you’ll stand in is the one that leads you closer to your easel. The only rush is the thrill of color. Everything sells out because it’s limited-edition (except Seven Protocols for Successful Oil Painters, which is a learn-at-your-own-speed online class). That includes my workshops and Zoom classes because I keep them small.
It’s especially true of paintings. Original art is the antithesis of shopping frenzy; it’s about stillness. When you buy from a real artist, you’re not just purchasing wall décor. You’re taking home a moment that actually happened, a slice of time the artist stood in, the air he or she breathed, and his or her personal translation into paint. It’s the way morning fog lifts off Beech Hill, or how the spruce shadows stretch long and blue across winter snow. I’ve never seen those things in a doorbuster bin.
Of course, I run a business, and businesses need customers. So yes, I have to market my workshops, classes and paintings. I’m truly grateful when my work finds a place in your home or that of someone you love.
On Friday, while others wake up at dawn to chase bargains, I’ll be going outside because it’s my favorite time of day. I’ll take the dogs for a tromp across the fields and I’ll watch the sun rise (unless it’s raining or snowing, in which case I’ll watch the gloaming lift).
If you find yourself exhausted by the noise of the season, step inside my online art shop, and just immerse yourself in paintings. I promise, there will be no shoving.
On that note, thank you to all my kind readers, friends, students and collectors. Enjoy this holiday, wherever you’re spending it.
Registration is now open for workshops in 2026! Reserve your spot:
- Canyon Color for the Painter | Sedona, AZ, March 9-13, 2026
- Advanced Plein Air Painting | Rockport, ME, July 13-17, 2026
- Sea & Sky | Acadia National Park, ME, August 2–7, 2026
- Find your Authentic Voice in Plein Air | Berkshires, MA, August 10-14, 2026
- New! Color Clinic 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 3-4, 2026
- New! Composition Week 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 5-9, 2026
Good for you!
May you and your family enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving!
Thank you, Sharron! I hope yours was wonderful.