Great Way To Start Off The Year

Happy New Year, everyone. I wish you all the best in 2013, especially I hope you'll have many fantastic surprises.

Mine started this way actually. A few days after Jan. 1st I received an email regarding a picture I had posted over 3 years ago on the BBC. A man was inquiring if I had posted a picture back in 2009, and since he gave no other information about the pic, I was little suspicious he might be a phisher or something (having had several pics posted there, his question was a little vague). After exchanging a few emails, I realized it wasn't the case, and he told me that my picture had a big impact on his life. With his permission, here is his story:

Dear Jean-Yves,  

First and foremost, I want to thank you for that photo. To say it has had a profound effect on my life is not an exaggeration.

Back in 2009, when I first saw the photo, my life was not going well. Despite years of working in the arts ( I studied acting in New York City) I had come to an impasse and lost all direction. Physically and psychologically I was feeling in pretty bad shape.  

The perfect beauty of your image struck me, and I saved it as wall paper on my computer for months. I have to admit, it gave me great peace.

Before studying acting, I had briefly studied Fine Art History and did one studio course, but had pretty much let that part of me go. It occurred to me that if I were to commit myself to painting a canvas again ( it had been at least 16 years since I had picked up a paint brush to work on a canvas) then at least I could feel "some" sense of control over my creativity and art. The image you captured inspired me to start again.

I purchased a canvas with the intention of reproducing the image and have to admit that even that hung on my wall, blank, for a long time. Then one day, I began to paint. 

I figured if I could just do one a leaf a day I might stay on course in my life. It didn't work out that way. Sometimes I would paint a leaf and then let it sit for days, other times I would work for days at a time and complete large sections. 

Finally, something happened that I did not expect. The painting flowed and I fell right into a passion that I had completely forgotten about and, in fact, did not know I had.

All this to say Jean-Yves, that because of your eye and standing on your tip toes to catch that plant, at that moment, you have indirectly brought to life a dormant talent in another person that otherwise probably would not have been expressed.

I completed the painting last week. It took over a year to do. It is a fairly large painting (6 ft x 4 ft) and was done in oil.

I am not sure what is next for it. I have never sold a painting in my life. I've never ever attempted to, but what matters is that I plan on continuing my passion for painting canvases. 

I wanted to track you down, as I said, to thank you, and let you know.

As well, I want you to know that I fully intend to give you credit for the original image should it come up, and would like your permission to do so.

As I said, I've never had a show, or sold a painting in my life. As it is now, I mostly scratch out an income painting houses here in Xyz Canada but now, at least, the wheels have begun to turn for me in a new direction.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope you like it.

Sincerely

Phillip

The funny thing is, as a photographer, I hope to inspire people and sometimes reveal things about myself. Posting pictures on the BBC, I wished to gain some recognition, it was a purely selfish act. Yet, it ended up really helping someone else, in a totally unexpected way. I have my Black Swan series on unexpected occurrences, I don't know if this qualifies as a grey or black one, but it is definitely a no-white swan. If I go to Xyz in the future, I will certainly ask him to model for me.

Well, here is the man and his painting. I hope it inspires you to create/explore/play in a way you have either forgotten or only dreamed about before.