Help!

5.16.26

London

Dear Art Friends,

The temptation to dive into an update from London is outweighed by the more important and urgent information I’d like to share with you, so at least I can say with confidence that I attempted any and all options available to me. I am calling on your help!

The show here, the Open Exhibition with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, was a success. My piece “Tessa, Reading” was framed brilliantly by Soho Frames in London, and is currently in the Mall Galleries with the rest of the show, available. It is the largest piece in the show, 52 x 72 inches, painted entirely from life in transparent watercolor, my best work to date, created specifically for this exhibition. Infused with love, it shows my girlfriend Tessa reading a book, at life size. It is framed with an exceptionally high-quality frame, museum acrylic fronting and wood sides, floated perfectly with a warm white outer border to match the paper upon which it is painted, the edges of which are visible.

Here’s where I need your help: When the show ends after May 19th, I have a way of taking the painting itself home with me should it not sell, but what I do not have is a way of taking it home in the frame. The piece, should it remain in the frame, is logistically impossible for me to take back or ship.

If it does not sell by the 19th, on the 21st the piece in the frame becomes my responsibility. I will very likely remove it from the frame with the help of the framers, and the frame will go…?

What I am asking of you is (and after this ask, have fun seeing some of the art I’ve made so far on this trip below) if you, or anyone you know has any connection to London and might be able to either purchase the piece intact, in the frame, or is interested in taking it into their care in the frame starting the 21st (collection day), I would greatly appreciate a text, call, or email, WhatsApp works too. My cell is +1 (206) 992 - 1230, my email is david@DavidOSmithArtist.com. Although I’ve already heard plenty of ideas about what I should do, feel free to send those my way too.

On the “ideas for me” front, what I’m looking for isn’t quite “you should see if a local gallery would try to sell it!” As much as “I am good friends with a local gallery owner who would love to take it in and try to sell it,” or “I have a friend just outside London who has a massive wall this would be perfect for” or “My friend runs a hotel in London and this would be perfect for the lobby” or “My friend is one of London’s top art collectors and is interested in the largest transparent watercolor figure painting from life she can possibly get her hands on,” or “I just love portraits of women reading, this would be such a good gift for my daughter,” or “I love your work and I would like to own the best thing you’ve made so far…
etc etc.

Thank you so much for your help. Bear in mind this is a very quick turnaround - the show is up through the 19th, today is the 16th, and I would ideally be handing it off the 21st. I leave London on the 24th, so I have a few days to do whatever is necessary.

And now, enjoy some Euro-sketchbook work from London and Paris!

Cheers,

David

P.S.: before scrolling down to look at the pretty pictures I’m sharing with you - consider how incredible it would be if you could, actually, help me to solve this challenge. Can you even imagine how grateful I would be? No, you cannot. I’m already massively grateful you are reading this - that’s more than enough! Thank you for your continued curiosity in the work I make. All best!