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My favourite painting is mine
Submitted by: Melinda M.
HungaryBluestocking, writer, translator and teacher, who loves cats and collects old photographs.
About a year ago I was looking for an avatar I could use on a historical site. I searched for images of my favourite historical-mythological characters like Queen Boudica, Guinevere, Nimue and Helene of Astolat (The Lady of Shallot). Browsing through several pictures, I suddenly came across a striking representation of The Lady of Shallot at a site offering fantasy related avatars. This one could have been modeled on me. I fell in love with it all at once. The queen like stature of the figure, her long, brown hair, her gorgeous green and red dress as she was stepping barefoot into the shallow boat boasting a Viking like prow, were and are all characteristics of me.
Unfortunately, after saving the image onto my computer I forgot to bookmark the site, nor did I remember to note the artists name. Ever since, Ive often wondered about the power of that image. How perfectly it encompassed my own character despite the fact that it was definitely not modeled on me.
About a month ago, as I was walking home, again I wished I could have found the artist so that I could let him or her know how I felt about his or her work. So when I got home I decided to try and look up the image first, in the hope that it would lead me to the artist. You know that sometimes search engines dont produce the same results or at least not in the same order. But this time I was lucky. My Lady of Shallot was there on the first page. I knew that I didnt get it from the page the search engine presented me with, but at least this page provided me with plenty of information on the artist.
It turned out that she had her own website, where I found a contact email address, too. I didnt hesitate much, I sent her a mail apologising for my school-girlish rave. I finished my letter stating that I wished I could have bought her painting.
To tell you the truth, I didnt expect an answer but a few hours later a mail from the artist was waiting for me. She thanked me for my kind words and offered to send me the image in the form of a numbered and limited edition art print since the original watercolour was not for sale. She wrote: Consider this as a late Christmas gift. I was absolutely speechless.
Yesterday I received the art print. Now its standing near my bed so its the first thing I see every morning and at night The Lady of Shallot is guarding my dreams.