I just got my David Heskin painting set up in a better spot. For a little while it had been hidden by my standing desk, and now it's nestled well in the corner, with a nice new chain actually. Obviously, this is not a very good photo of the painting, but it shows how it photographs in its natural environment right now. It looks better lit with my lamp when in the actual room, rather than as a photo. I think there might be a professional photo of it on his website, and there are many more videos and photos of this piece throughout the various media I've put out over the years, since this painting has always been featured in my space.
I've owned this original oil painting by David for so many years now. I don't remember the year I got it - might have been 2008. I got it in a website trade with David and his wife Aloria at the time (where I designed an art website for them in exchange for it), and it says "Withinfinite Gratitude" on the back but I'm not sure if that's the title of the artwork or just his inscription. The name may have changed at times. Through hell and high water, homelessness and sketchy moves, I've always managed to keep it.
Whenever anyone asks me about it I always say that I scored this piece in the old days when David and his wife were living out of a van, dumpster diving for food - but now they are famous artists and this painting's value has probably gone up to thousands of dollars, and will only escalate. Now, David's paintings are much more technically impressive, featuring shockingly realistic translucent bodies and faces over gorgeously well blended abstract mystical backgrounds.
As the story goes, I've been very shy to put this piece up online because David's wife Aloria and I had a major falling out, and just from a personal and social standpoint, I don't like her at all after the horrible way that she treated me. But today, I'm willing to say openly that that shouldn't reflect on David to the extent of not explaining this gorgeous painting which is in so many photos of my home - even though that issue with Aloria has made things super awkward between us I think.
He's really such a beautiful being, totally the type who wouldn't actually take on a drama like that, even from his wife, about someone like me who obviously means well and has positive, sweet intentions towards him. It's just that he might not respond to me anymore by email - but the thing is, he was never that big on online communication anyway. I never did take that personally - it's just that it was awkward, that's all.
The thing is, that really affected me in a very deep way to be rejected by Aloria, because the connection with her and David was of intensely spiritual proportions for me. I won't go into it in too much detail, but just one story : I attended their wedding and I'll be honest - that was one of the most deep experiences of my life in ceremonies and events outside of medicine. Their marriage really resonated for me on such a soul level and made a huge imprint, so I kept the connection with them as something which illustrated many of my most emotional and spiritual inspirations in life.
It took me a long time to emotionally recover from the loss of the friendship with Aloria, considering how much it had meant to me to witness the art progression and marriage between her and David, and share many times as dear friends. As you can probably detect, it's still very painful for me even today but I have really emotionally processed the experience enough now that I feel confident in sharing who the artist of this painting is.
I get a lot of beautiful spiritual energy from David about the fact that I own the painting. Touching it, moving it to a new spot in the home, making decisions like how to keep it safe from damage - these actions bring up loving atmosphere and positive vibes from him. I always felt that he was sending love. Admiring this loose, relaxed early work of his constantly reminds me of the homey and down to Earth feeling of the art community in youthful early beginnings of ambitious careers.
I think the key to success as an artist is to adore your work, and never be too hard on yourself about your art. Artists like David who have succeeded, I find very often have come from early periods of relaxed work like this. I myself have always resonated with that comfortable atmosphere to art. I may seem like a perfectionist with my line work but that's never been the intention. Sure, my work seems a little strained in earlier years, but from my own perspective it was about taking it easy and just enjoying the process.
This particular oil painting shows a lot of development so far to that point, and indeed David was already a very experienced painter. But it's just that in comparison to his newer works, it's looking whipped up as a design with thick easy going brush strokes and slightly off balance forms of spacial harmony. I know that at the time David was adoring the way that it wasn't "perfect" in exact balance, and that's the magic I find i it myself when surely the geometric resonance is more than obvious.
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