An email from a client:

Client: Your work “Distant Mystery” shocked me more than anything I’ve seen in my life. I am from Russia and I miss snowy endless landscapes of Russian winter, so no surprise this work of your has awakened a storm of emotions. It reminds me of beautiful frozen lakes I’ve had a chance to admire in my homeland and which I miss so much here in California.

My response: Thanks for the email and your comments. As an artist I always hope to evoke an emotional response from my viewers. The painting was done purely from my soul with no landscape pictures or memories that I worked from. I think that sometimes our brains are looking for things in the present that connect us to our histories, maybe this has happened for you. And the fact that you miss Russia and not much here in California looks like your memories possibly explains your connection to the painting.

Client: Indeed, I can’t throw this picture out of my head now. Maybe the reason is that we are going home in a couple of weeks for the holidays, and I’m excited to see snow again! 

A discussion that I have had with myself lately asks the question; Does a title help a piece or categorize it to its disadvantage? I try to title paintings with a suggestion that lets the viewers mind develop any connection that they might have with the piece.