the gallery that asked me to paint "happier colors" for their market, worst red flag you've ever walked into?
okay so I emailed a gallery a few months back with a little portfolio, and they actually got back to me (!) and wanted to meet. I was so excited. Then the owner spent the whole meeting talking about "the market" and what "sells in this area" and finally asked if I could, quote, "brighten up my palette a little" because watercolor in muted tones reads "sad" apparently.
I didn't walk. I should've walked. I did a whole sample piece in bright happy colors and she never even replied after that. 😭 honestly kind of glad but also what a waste of a weekend.
so what's the red flag you saw on the way in and ignored anyway? or the one that made you turn around immediately? I feel like we all have at least one of these.
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"happier colors" is insane. like yeah let me just fix my entire visual language real quick so we can move some units. the fact that they went silent after the sample piece they personally asked for is the funniest part actually. they didn't even have the decency to fake a compliment before ghosting.
ngl the "reads as sad" comment would've had me out the door. muted watercolor is a whole aesthetic, it's not a cry for help. red flag for me is any gallery that brings up "collectors" before my actual work. like yeah i know what collectors are, i'm trying to find out if you know what paintings are. sorry you wasted a weekend but honestly the sample piece probably told you more about them than any meeting could've 😭
"reads as sad" honestly sent me, like okay sorry my palette isn't screaming enough for you!! and you're so right, the silent treatment after THEY asked for the sample is the cherry on top. i spent a whole weekend on that thing. could've been painting something i actually cared about.
and yeah the collectors thing is such a tell. every time someone says "collectors" before they say "paintings" i know exactly what kind of conversation i'm in. like congrats you know rich people, do you know what a wash is?? do you even like art?? 😭
what kind of work do you make though, i'm curious now
"reads as sad" is such a wild thing to say out loud. like no, it's a mood, sorry you only have two emotional settings. and yeah the ghosting after they asked for the sample is genuinely elite-level terrible. they didn't even have the decency to string you along with a fake "we love the direction" before vanishing lol.
"collectors" is a good one, but my personal favorite is when they start talking about what "compliments the sofa" in the area. that's when you know they're basically running a furniture showroom with a paint budget.