My new painting

The Outsider Art Fair has become an annual tradition for me. I love Outsider and Folk Art because it's art in its rawest form -- forms of expression by people that have had no formal training but yet feel compelled to express themselves creatively. (For more on Outsider Art: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsider_art.)

Some years, I'll come across something that has my name written all over it. The previous year, it was a painting on war. This year, I picked up a small drawing by Alexandra Huber, but what spoke to me was a painting by Jennifer Harrison.

"Eight Yellow Houses" by Jennifer Harrison, 2006. Oil on canvas, 36" x 48"

As you can see, the painting is quite big. The Berenberg Gallery that I purchased the painting from had it delivered by A Street Frames to my apartment. The gallery worked with me and my schedule to set a date for me to take the painting (delivered free of charge), and the delivery person was extremely pleasant and helpful. He even went so far as to carry the painting all the way up four stories to my apartment. Everything went off without a hitch.

This is atypical of my experience with galleries or framing services. Galleries are usually rude and pretentious when dealing with me because 1) I'm not wealthy, and 2) I'm not a "collector." Framing services (even those based in NYC) charge exorbitant fees for delivery, and then will leave the painting with you on the doorstep of your building. They usually will not carry art all the way up to the door of your apartment, especially if you live in a walk-up that involves 8 flights of stairs. I'd definitely do business with both the Berenberg Gallery and A Street Frames again.