Today I want to tell you about one of my Christmas gifts this year, surely one that has most touched my heart!
Some weeks ago I received the following mail:
“Good Morning, Miki!
We are publishers of a magazine of, for and by folks in Lake County, California. Lake County is a small, rural area about two and one-half hours north of San Francisco, USA.
In my wanderings through the world-wide web, I came across your painting, “Sunday Morning in North Africa.” Perhaps it was not intended on your part, but I see the Virgin Mary carrying the Baby Jesus. I certainly do not pretend a complete understanding of abstract painting, but I find your “flippy” style most appealing. We are presently considering a number of alternatives for our December issue cover, and we wondered if you would allow us the use of your painting for that purpose?
I have attached a mock-up of our cover with your painting as the backdrop. Please let me know if you would find this acceptable.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Admiringly,
Roy
I found instantaneously the person behind these words extremely sympathetic, I mean, really, this man who did not know me writing these wonderful things to me. I was deeply touched…
This first wonderful impression was confirmed in the few mails we exchanged over the next few days.
And now, finally, my painting is on the cover of the Lake County Magazine! Here are the words which Roy printed there:
“We have made a new friend. Her name is Miki and she lives in Spain with an English writer. She was born in France, and lived also in Germany. She describes herself as passionate, impatient, unappeasable, uncon-trollable. She loves “color, contrast, ordered chaos, the desert and the ocean … all strewn with humor and chocolate flakes!”
I accused her of wandering through disciplines and mediums and told her, “I love it!” I said I’d seen one of her paintings on the internet. I told her I saw the Virgin Mary carrying the Infant Jesus.
I asked if we could use it on our cover. She said, “Yes.” . We are most grateful. “
And a little bit further in the magazine, presenting my original painting (without the words on it):
“Miki told us, “The building on the top left is reminiscent of the church in a small Spanish town where I once lived, and I was thinking of Mary and Jesus as I painted. No special reason …
divine inspiration perhaps!”
We have fallen in love with her work. We love the bold splashes of color. We’re intrigued by the intermingling of realism and abstraction. On her website, we found joy and humor and a carefree love of life. If you’d like to learn more about Miki and her art, you can visit her at:
http://www.artmiki.com “
I was really moved to tears as I read these words the other day. And as I said to Roy, I really felt like the new friend of the entire Lake County in that moment! Anyway, as you perhaps already know, my best friend, Susan Cornelis, lives not far away from there…
You see, Susan, I will spend Christmas with you this year… kind of!”
To see the cover in its original context and to discover the Lake County at Christmas, click here!
