It is not every day that a person gets to write an article for a magazine. I want every opportunity given to me. Thank you for giving me mine but I read the requirement “must get permission from artist.” It crushed me. How would I get Keith Pawlak to give me permission? Where would I find him? Why would he want me to do this? And so, I went to the place which is considered outdated and there he was. On Facebook. I sent a message. I wait. There is the message I have wanted. He not only answered. “Thank you for the message and I would love for you to write about my art. Thank you for asking. I have created some mountainscapes from wood that have sold at local galleries.” These were not good. They are fantastic. I want another for my home, but this is about his heart art. He knew when I bought them. I did confess to this ridiculously talented person that I couldn’t afford the heart pictures when I bought them, but I get what I love. I think about what it costs me after. Turns out they were the greatest gift because I got to meet the man whose work has made me happy for years. Exceptional person, privilege to write about him.
Think with your head not your heart, or so we are told. When have you made your best choices? Mine have been with the heart. With it comes a lot of change. I was a New York girl, but when change came, I went with my heart. It finds me in Florida living a life I thought would come later in life. It is what we say right? When the time comes. The time came. It became home but something wasn’t right. I didn’t make the complete move. I was living in New York and Florida. I felt like a decision had to be made. It would come. I would know and so I spent a winter in Florida. The heart made its choice. We left New York and took what we could to Florida but the things that weren’t in question were our art. There is only so much a home can be crammed with, but it came. It sat in storage. Things which make a house a home, kept in boxes because where would it all go? Life intervened and another house became our home. The interior white.
Everything will fit here. The house gifted us with the space for our collection. Did it take us time to do this? No. We stopped when everything was up. Did I cry? Yes. Years of moving does that to you. I wanted it to be who I was and without art something was missing. As we unwrapped each piece memories come back. “We got this on our trip.” “Can we afford it?” “Where will it go?” We didn’t think. We got what we loved. Thank you to my heart. They were the right choice. We found these hearts. It was symbolic of everything to come. These works of art told me everything. It’s what I wanted to see every time I came into my home. Our hearts on acrylic. The artist Keith Pawlak. The concept would appear easy right? This is for each person to decide. Some wear theirs on their sleeves for everyone to see. Some keep what is in their hearts hidden. I am a person who thinks with their heart. I don’t care if I am criticized for it. If I am judged for believing in my heart. It has taken me to fascinating places. The loves of my life were chosen with my heart. They are what makes my life. My two hearts in our home. It is what I look at when I get up. Go to sleep. They have a home.
A note written to us by the artist himself. This is more than I could have asked for. So yes, it wasn’t a question whether they would come to Florida but where. It would have to be the right home and so it is. Those hearts because I am led by my heart. Thank you for having my back. It made choices my mind couldn’t. Go with yours. I have. Thank you, heart. G&S
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