JOHN HENRY FOLLEY
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A thoughtful anniversary gift fine art commission

1/18/2021

0 Comments

 
Guest post by Deirdre M. Folley
Have you ever been at a loss when it comes time to choose a gift for your loved one? 
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Whether you're a gift-giving maven or gift-giving-challenged, I think the story of Micah's thoughtful First Anniversary gift will inspire you. 

Newlyweds Micah and Megan had agreed that they would not exchange presents for their first year anniversary. John and I have certainly been in that boat! In a busy season (in this case, a baby on the way), it does take the pressure off to know that you won't disappoint your spouse if there's a mutual agreement that no gift is necessary nor expected. 

But Micah had other schemes in mind. 
"Megan's father is a great gift giver. He's always great about giving his wife and daughters flowers - always so on top of it. I know I cannot compete," Micah told John of the family he'd married into. 

When they discussed exchanging gifts on their first anniversary, Megan agreed that Micah could give her flowers - just flowers. 
"As I approached the end of the first year of marriage I wanted to give my wife something special. She loves flowers, especially ranunculus. Their rose-like blossoms have tissue-thin petals and come in a range of beautiful colors. The dilemma I faced is that these exquisite flowers fade quickly. Thus the idea was born to capture these flowers permanently." ​- Micah
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So the commission that John received was to paint a small oil painting - one small enough to fit standing up on Megan's desk, the way a vase of flowers would be set - of her favorite kind of flower, the ranunculus. 

"It was a fun occasion for me to have some beautiful, florist-sent blooms in the studio," says John, "since of course I wanted to work from life to capture these flowers with all their delicacy and liveliness." We ordered a selection of the blooms and John chose the best colors for his composition, narrowing down on just a few in order to fit their detail onto a demure 8"x6" canvas. 
"Working with John on the idea was a delight and he captured their beauty and delicacy perfectly!" Micah told me, "My wife proudly displays her favorite flowers on our living room mantle for all to see and enjoy knowing they will always be in full bloom."
Ranunculus painting in gold frame
Of course, the final cleverness of Micah's commission is that the first wedding anniversary is traditionally observed as the Paper Anniversary; thus, the gift delivered on canvas (close enough to paper!) ties in doubly well in this case. 

We were impressed with Micah's thoughtfulness in bringing this project to John, and delighted to see it come to fruition in time for a late Fall anniversary. Our best wishes to the newlyweds, now one year in!
'Paper Anniversary' oil painting
'Paper Anniversary' 8"x6" oil on canvas
If you're interested in commissioning your own piece, be sure to take a look at my commissions page. 
If you were to plan a commissioned fine art gift this year, what would be the occasion? 
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Auction for Hydrangea Tea

10/29/2020

25 Comments

 
To learn more about this piece, check out yesterday's blog post.
For now, just a few final glimpses at the painting and then on to the auction rules!
Hydrangea Tea
framed
18"x20", oil on canvas 
was $3640
starting bid: $900
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Auction rules: 
  • The auction starts today, Thursday the 29th, at 9am EST. 
  • The original price for this piece is $3640. Starting bid for the auction is $900.
  • Shipping is free in the the contiguous US!
  • To place a bid on the painting, use the comments section below.
  • Feel free to use a pseudonym, but please be aware that winners will be informed via email, so it is imperative that you provide your working email when placing a comment bid. Your email will be kept private and will not be published along with the comment.  
  • Minimum bid increase amount is $25. This means that you must bid at least $25 higher than the previously published comment. For example, if the comment above yours is $975, your minimum bid is $1000. You may bid higher in increments of $25 (e.g., you may follow a $975 bid with a $1100 bid). 
  • The auction will a little over two days, ending at 10am, EST, on Saturday the 31th, 2020. 
  • The highest, final bid to post in the comment section with a timestamp prior to 10:00am on the 24th will be the winning post. In the case of any confusion, we will refer to our backend information on the website to determine the bidder who successfully logged the final, top bid prior to closing time.
  • We will contact the winner via email to arrange payment and shipment. 
  • Massachusetts residents will be subject to MA sales tax (6.25%). 
Good luck!
25 Comments

Auction for Tea and Twine

10/22/2020

4 Comments

 
Last week's auction on Dulcinea was a great time - we're looking forward to Round 2!
Before I say anything else: a big thanks to those who bid (and won!) and also to those who reached out to let us know what paintings they'd like to see put up for auction. If you haven't told me yet what your favorite painting(s) is/are, please do so now! Drop me a line at john@johnfolley.com! We haven't finished deciding what will come up next in this Crazy Auction series, so your input will be carefully considered! 
Without further ado: Today's 2nd Crazy Auction painting is Tea and Twine!
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Tea and Twine
14"x11" oil on canvas

frame included
If you're familiar with my still life portfolio, you know that I tend towards painting more formal scenes. This still life was a little more playful for me, with the more casual elements and brights colors. Here I let the few simple objects speak for themselves. In keeping with my theme of spouted vessels, I chose the tea kettle mostly for its popping and vivid color! A sort of tea time feeling came through with the buttery color of the twine...
​A kettle and some twine have a practical feeling, but clearly there's time for enjoyment when it comes to stacking sugar cubes!
​I can see this painting in a kitchen, a breakfast nook, a dining room, a sitting room... and anywhere that could use some beauty and warmth and the kind breath of calm and cheer that comes with a peaceful pause on an afternoon.
We have updated the rules slightly, so please read through below!
Auction rules:
  • The original price for this piece is $1780. Starting bid for the auction is $450.
  • Shipping is free in the the contiguous US!
  • To place a bid on the painting, use the comments section below. 
  • Feel free to use a pseudonym, but please be aware that winners will be informed via email, so it is imperative that you provide your working email when placing a comment bid. Your email will be kept private and will not be published along with the comment.  
  • Minimum bid increase amount is $25. This means that you must bid at least $25 higher than the previously published comment. For example, if the comment above yours is $475, your minimum bid is $500. You may bid higher in increments of $25 (e.g., you may follow a $475 bid with a $600 bid). 
  • The auction will run a little longer this time, ending at 10am, EST, on Saturday the 24th, 2020. 
  • The highest, final bid to post in the comment section with a timestamp prior to 10:00am on the 24th will be the winning post. In the case of any confusion, we will refer to our backend information on the website to determine the bidder who successfully logged the final, top bid prior to closing time.
  • We will contact the winner via email to arrange payment and shipment. 
  • Massachusetts residents will be subject to MA sales tax (6.25%). 
Good luck!
4 Comments

Auction for 'Dulcinea'

10/15/2020

6 Comments

 
This is the auction page! Please read the rules at the bottom of this post and leave your bids in the comments! Good luck!
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Dulcinea
oil on canvas
14"x22" 
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Please read the auction rules here: 
  • The original price for this piece is $3170. Starting bid for the auction is $800.
  • Shipping is free in the the contiguous US!
  • There will be a fresh blog post for the actual auction, entitled 'Auction for Dulcinea.'
  • To place a bid on the painting, use the comments section below the auction post. 
  • Feel free to use a pseudonym, but please be aware that winners will be informed via email, so it is imperative that you provide your working email when placing a comment bid. Your email will be kept private and will not be published along with the comment.  
  • Minimum bid increase amount is $25. This means that you must bid at least $25 higher than the previously published comment. For example, if the comment above yours is $825, your minimum bid is $850. You may bid higher in increments of $25 (e.g., you may follow a $825 bid with a $900 bid). 
  • The auction will run for two days, ending tomorrow at midnight, EST; Friday the 16th, 2020. 
  • The final bid to post in the comment section with a timestamp prior to 12:00am on the 17th will be the winning post. In the case of any confusion, we will refer to the corresponding emails that we receive for each comment; whichever email appears in our inbox as the final post before midnight will correspond to the winning comment bid. 
  • We will contact the winner via email to arrange payment and shipment. 
  • Massachusetts residents will be subject to MA sales tax (6.25%). 
This auction will close tomorrow, Friday the 16th, at midnight!
6 Comments
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    Author

    Hello there, I'm John H. Folley. Thanks for visiting the Beauty Advocacy Blog, where it's my job to help you become a more discerning art appreciator.

    I believe that beauty is real and that art has standards, and I'm here to push back against the pretensions of the modern Art world.

    Here you'll find updates on my art and activities and some of my art philosophy. You'll also hear occasionally from my wife and studio manager, artist Deirdre M. Folley. Peace!

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All original work 2020 © John Henry Folley. Kindly seek written permission from the artist before reproducing any of the above work in any form.
  • Fine Art
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