A couple came in who did, in fact, buy a portrait of somebody else. But for quite a while they were occupied with Hunter Davies, at the bottom of whose portrait I had written that it was an artist proof – and for a good stretch of that time they were quite keen to buy it.
I explained that I probably ought at least offer it to Hunter first. I had been in touch with him, and knew he couldn’t come in the week the show was on.
So I didn’t sell them the artist proof of Hunter Davies.
I did explain that the artist proof prices are higher than the regular prices, which are listed on my website, and I showed them those prices there and then.
They went ahead and bought one of the A2 limited edition prints, which was a great help in making the whole show work out financially.
But the point is that I was really excited and interested by the fact that they would want to buy a portrait of Hunter Davies in his office.
Because sometimes when I look at my own pictures I think nobody will like a portrait of someone else, which is obviously crazy – I mean, people don’t hate the Mona Lisa! – and there it was being contradicted by two people standing in front of the picture of Hunter with their minds made up.
What people often said they liked about Hunter’s office was how lived-in it looked. Real, and full of stuff.