Michelle is French but had lived most of her life in Poland after marrying Polish nuclear physicist Jerzy Jastrzebski (pronounced Yeshtempski!). I am a great admirer of Michelle's paintings and got to know her personally after persuading a gallery assistant where her works were being sold to give me her contact number. Michelle and I got on very well from our very first meeting and I introduced her works to many friends and colleagues. I acquired more than a dozen of her paintings which travelled with me from country to country and they give me much pleasure.
Michelle was her same bubbly self and had since eight years ago moved to a new modern apartment which she had impeccable furnished and decorated in her own distinct style. But ALAS, much to my regret Michelle had stopped painting. There was no room for a studio in the new apartment, she had some problem with her heart which made painting uncomfortable and the smell of paint unbearable. And finally according to her the market for paintings in today's Poland was not as good as during the Communist era when she supported herself by the sales of her painting. Today apart from the small market, she also had to pay the gallery a 50% commission on each sale.
So today she's a lady of leisure, attending to her beautiful apartment and her big hobby garden in the country which gave her much joy besides the flowers and vegetables, and taking long walking and camping holidays with Jerzy, who should also be retired but whose service was still much needed by the Polish government.
I was sorry I did not acquire a new painting by Michelle, but she did give me a landscape pencil sketch. Thanks Michelle, God bless and keep you.
I was sorry I did not acquire a new painting by Michelle, but she did give me a landscape pencil sketch. Thanks Michelle, God bless and keep you.
No comments:
Post a Comment