Luck, Gratitude, and Twenty Years on the Avenue
In my studio, I meet folks who are new to town almost every week. After we chat for a bit, I usually ask them: Did you know how great this town was before you moved here, or did you just luck into it? That’s how confident I am about where we live. It’s never a question of whether they like it here, of course they do, the real question is whether they came here because they knew this town was great, or lucked into it?
“Dictionary” series from 20 years ago - Oil on Vintage dictionary page
This spring marks twenty years since my business partner, the talented Jeff Erickson, mentioned the possibility of opening a second location in Del Ray. Our original studio opened in Old Town in 1994. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that my first response was, “Isn’t that where the poor people who can’t afford Old Town live?” I lived in Springfield at the time, lol. I was leaning hard toward no. Jeff asked me to let it sit for a minute.
In the early 2000s I did some of my best work at the pool!
I called one of my favorite designers, Megan Madigan, and she immediately said Del Ray would be a perfect fit for us and to go for it. That weekend, the Washington Post ran an article about Del Ray’s up-and-coming restaurant scene. That was the message from above I needed. If I asked myself the same question I ask my clients, I’d have to admit I completely lucked into Del Ray. I can’t imagine living or working anywhere else.
“Matthew” oil on linen by Don Ripper. One of my favorite portraits from this era.
Over the past twenty years, our neighborhood has changed–some for the better, some just inevitable, but the thing that sets this town apart from anywhere else I’ve lived is that it genuinely roots for you to succeed. Not just survive, but to thrive! It’s vastly easier to succeed when the town actually appreciates you.
I definitely had a sweet tooth.
Mother’s Day in Del Ray is one of my favorite days of the year. Young families walk the Avenue with their children, proudly showing out-of-town grandparents around saying, “Here’s Meat on the Avenue, our butcher. Here’s the Purple Goose with fabulous kids’ clothes. And here’s our neighborhood artist.” It’s always good to have an artist around.
In the past twenty years, I’ve painted portraits of local kids who have grown up and now come back as adult clients. That still blows my mind. Twenty years ago, when I was painting snack food with bites taken out, grade-school kids would bring me Hostess fruit pies to paint—actual pies, carried into the studio as suggestions. That kid is probably thirty-two now. If you’re still around, stop by. I owe you!
I also painted at the beach a lot!
I also owe this community everything. Thank you for letting me live life on my terms, doing work I love, in an inclusive supportive environment. As the year closes, I’m reminded that luck may have brought me here, but gratitude is what keeps me. Here’s to another year of making things, opening doors, and proving that the best places aren’t found on a map, but built together.
SEE ALSO: The Art of Stepping Back: How Walking Away Saved This Painting
