This is my first "romantic" story that I have ever worked on without being so incredibly over the top sexually speaking. This is Part I and of course there will be more parts coming soon.
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A relationship is more than just a simple partnership, it's a task that requires dedication and hard work. It takes a considerable effort to tend to the needs of one's partner as well as your own while attempting to do a dozen other things throughout the day. A relationship therefore requires one to be a master at multi-tasking, something not easy to do within the confines of a 24 hour day. Now considering what has just been put forth and magnify that by a difficulty x100 or x1,000. Make the task a bit more difficult by having a relationship with someone who is well known. Better yet, attempt it while the other is a member of the A list. A person who is among the most adored, wanted, loved, hated, recognized, photographed, filmed, watched, spied on individuals in the world. This person is a movie star.
Perry Savich was in New York, Soho to be precise. He was laboring to be a freelance painter ever since graduation from art school years before. By this point in his so called career he should've sat down to write a book on the travails and misery of becoming an artist. Thus far it had been one long rocky road and didn't appear as if it were going to get any better. Perry had made up his mind that he would go back to teaching full time. He should've stuck to teaching he kept telling himself over and over instead of leaving it after only a year and a half at a community college in Pennsylvania. It was a nice gig, instructing college kids on the rudimentary skills of making art outside of Pittsburgh. On weekends he'd drive home to Youngstown, see his parents have Sunday dinner before driving back. He wasn't sure when he began to get the itch to leave his gig, but the idea must've come from the artist co-op he often visited. Seeing so many artists showing their work was a constant reminder that he should pick up the brush and start producing his own art. Perry felt guilty he had been neglecting his own creative energy for teaching. He decided that he'd take the plunge, and devote all of his time producing paintings, become known, and sell his artwork. If that didn't work out he would grudgingly go back instructing would be artists at some community college.
Upon leaving Perry went to Pittsburgh, then Miami all the while sending galleries across the U.S. his resume and collection of works. At first there was no word, then a few bites here and there. Perry managed to have several paintings hanging in group shows and happily managed to sell a few. To help make ends meet he obtained employment at an art store, before moving yet again to someplace he felt the grass would be greener. His biggest mistake was moving to New York where the price of living was astronomical, but the amount of galleries and places to show his work were almost innumerable.
It was extremely difficult living, most of the time eating only once a day, sometimes going in a grocery market putting items in the cart for fun before placing them back on the shelf because he simply didn't have enough to pay for them. He had two jobs waiting tables yet despite the hardship he kept going telling himself if things didn't get better the following month he'd leave. He had a few more group shows but thus far no solo events which is what every artist craves for.
Perry took to doing commissions in addition to his own work. He did a few portraits for individuals including one Martin Taylor. At a group show Mr. Taylor approached Perry inquiring about his promotional brochure which included a line concerning commissions. He told Perry that he had followed events that showed his work and had even purchased one of his landscapes for his town home. Apparently Martin Taylor had money and Perry was very willing to fit into his busy schedule any work Martin could send his way. Perry was in luck as Mr. Taylor wanted a self portrait of himself and awarded him the commission. An appointment was made for Martin to sit for a painting at Perry's small studio at a pre-arranged time.
Sitting for a portrait is painstaking not only for the model but the artist as well. One has to sit perfectly still for a lengths of time while the painter does his/her best to encapsulate the subject upon the painting surface while finagling with the lighting and props. Perry had done a number of works where someone sat for him and thus was prepared for his subject to be either quiet or very talkative. Perry preferred the sitter to say little, not because he disliked conversation but because it often led to losing the moment whilst trying to concentrate. One could always embark on conversing during a break. Martin sat for his portrait four times during the month all the while saying a few things that lead Perry to believe that he had quite a fan of his works. That suited the artist just fine as it translated to someone buying more of his work.
While on break during a sitting Mr. Taylor looked around the studio at the paintings, some framed other rolled and asked whether any were for sale. Of course they were and one which caught Taylor's eye was a self portrait of the artist himself. Out of all the works available Perry was a bit uncomfortable selling it. He had painted it as a joke with another artist who did one of themselves, and the idea was to do a Renaissance styled self portrait that had an odd feel to it. For Perry that meant placing his eyes a bit off so that they were not quite looking forward and painting small beads of sweat upon the brow and forehead of his portrait. He liked the result. So did Mr. Taylor obviously and he offered two thousand dollars for it. To hell with odd, Perry thought. He quickly sold the painting to him.
Upon completion of the commissioned portrait, Perry was invited to a gathering thrown by Taylor at his upper East Side home. The artist felt out of place being amongst so many phony, pretentious, conceited people. No matter how much he may have disliked them, they had the money. He'd have to suck it up and deal with it. Mr. Taylor introduced Perry to his friends and they all claimed, whether they were truthful or not, that they liked his work and wanted to see more. He told them about his group shows and a possible upcoming solo event. The artist realized that such parties were goldmines in which to help cultivate future prospective buyers, so it was imperative to schmooze or lose. While he did so everyone complemented him on the portrait sitting in the hosts study. Perry was curious himself as to how the finished work looked in it's new home. Taylor was more than happy to show him.
With a number of people following, the artist was lead into the study. There above the fireplace mantle was the framed portrait of Martin Taylor looking to his right. Perry's mouth just about hit the floor when he realized where his own self portrait ended up. Because of the juxtaposition of figures both portraits hung within a foot of one another and appeared as if they were staring at each other. Taylor looking to his right, Perry's faux Renaissance self portrait looking left, sweat and oddball eyes included. It was simply eerie.
Oh my God, Perry thought. This guy wasn't just a simple fan but an obsessed one. It dawned on him that Taylor never mentioned he had a wife or life partner, nor any children for that matter. This man was alone and now had arranged some strange fantasy involving the two of them. He honestly felt like running out of that town home immediately. Perry headed not for the door but the bar. While throwing back a few glasses of straight Balvenie he put on the best face to conceal his true feelings. He somehow had to maintain a business relationship while keeping a creepy wealthy fan at arm's length. Perry vowed never to paint a commission ever again.
He was still trying to shake the weird event from his mind when he got word from a gallery that they would like to schedule a solo show. Perry was ecstatic and felt energized. The gallery called M55 was interested in his series of abstract landscape paintings. He had close to thirty pieces in that series and they were ready to go. After meeting with the gallery owner Mindy Gold he'd have a chance to hit the ground running with a solo event scheduled for mid September. He couldn't wait. Who would show up and how much will they buy, he thought.
Little did Perry know that he was on the verge of meeting someone who'd eclipse those thoughts entirely. Her name was Elizabeth Beresford.
It was September 16th, a pleasant cool late summer evening in Soho. Perry Savich tried to relax as the opening of his solo show began. He and Mindy went over their last minute checklist ensuring everything was done; paintings hung with prices and relevant information check, food check, alcohol check, price-list check, music check, artist statement check. Perry looked at Mindy as the doors officially opened to M55 and crossed his fingers and said, "Well Mindy here's goes nothing."
She shook her head and replied in a motherly tone, "You'll do just fine Perry. In fact I foresee you selling most if not all your pieces."
"Wouldn't that be nice?," he smiled as he walked off to the makeshift bar to get a Balvenie.
The public started to filter in from the curious to serious aficionados and collectors. According to Mindy a critic or two would make an appearance and she promised to point them out to Perry considering she knew almost all of them in the New York after spending 30 years in the art scene. A friend of Perry's named Keith Kewley who was a photographer for Conde Nast magazine dropped by to lend his support.
"Hey Keith, thanks for coming. Didn't think you'd be able to make it man. I thought you were flying out to Turkey today?" Perry said.
Keith ran a hand through his curly brown hair and replied, "No way I'd miss your opening Perry. As for my flight it doesn't leave until after midnight so no problemo." Perry always thought that if Keith failed to find photography work he could always act as the actor Jeff Bridges' double. Same look and mannerisms of the famous celebrity. Keith had a knack for doing impressions of Jeff Bridges famous character, "The Dude" from the film The Big Lebowski when it fitted him.
"Well appreciate it Dudester," Perry patted him on the shoulder.
"Oh, hey Perry somebody very big is gonna drop by. Just wanted you to know."
"Oh, who might this person be? Wait let me guess, Nora Cohen the critic from Artnews? Mindy said she might make an appearance."
"No sir. This person is many times younger and doesn't have the whole Medusa thing going on at all," Keith motioned with his hand mimicking Nora's wild hair and cringe worthy visage.
