First, I want to share a story with you. I asked John and Mike to tell the story in their own words…
My partner, John, and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary, as well as John’s 50th birthday. John made me promise not to buy anything for our anniversary because we planned to go on a two week trip to Europe to celebrate; however, he neglected to make me promise anything about his 50th birthday. This became a loophole much too good to pass up.
I thought for a long time on what I would get him for his birthday that reflected our lives together, and one simple little story kept coming back to life. When we first started out, as many of you have experienced, we had nothing extra…all we made was meant to be saved and invested for our future. We would spend weekends attending free events, such as free concerts, arts and wine festivals, fairs, etc…we could find them anywhere.
At one such event, in Fremont nearly 20 years ago, John and I walked by an art booth where we both saw a bronze sculpture. We looked at it, walked by, and then returned later that day to talk to the artist. This is where we first met Jeff Tritel and a sculpture called “Fairie Fire.” We were fascinated by it, and yet we were able to talk ourselves out of an impulse purchase, but we always remembered that one piece of art. I
felt this would make the perfect 50th birthday present…a sculpture that we mentioned many times over our life together, as the “piece that got away”. I say this because we referred back to that piece of art many times, and the fact that we walked away from it, even when it made such an impression.
I laughed many times over the last months prior to our anniversary, very secure in the knowledge that I just topped any gift that we ever gave each other. This became the perfect birthday gift…a sculpture, from some of our earliest memories together, that we mentioned many times since. Eat your heart out John…you will never out do this one!
I made John’s family aware of this gift, and got their help in picking it up, wrapping it, and making sure it showed up to a Fourth of July party at John’s sister’s house…just in time for his birthday. All my friends wanted to know how John would react to such an important present, but even I did not expect what happened
next. As I gave John his 50th birthday gift, he gave me a 20th anniversary gift…even though I had to
promise not to get him one. John wanted to give me a gift that had a very deep meaning, and remembered a sculpture from many years before, that we both really wanted, but at the time could not afford. We are now the proud owners of TWO “Fairie Fire” sculptures, given to each other on the very same day.
Yes, Bonnie and Jeff figured out what was going on, but knew they could not spoil the surprise. The Tritels have offered to give us a refund or even exchange one of the sculptures, but neither of us is willing to give up the perfect gift. This means way too much, and Bonnie agrees. I would like to thank Bonnie and Jeff for being such good sports and for being part of such a good story. All of our friends just say it proves that John and
I think alike, and belong together.
Isn’t that a wonderful story? Jeff and I had many moments of quiet laughter when we thought about John and
Mike exchanging the same gift that meant so much to each of them. (By the way, it was probably two decades from the
time they first saw the sculpture to the time they ordered it. Thank goodness for our business cards with photos
of the sculpture on them.)
But back to our topic, buying artwork as a gift. There are four main points to consider:
- ·How well do you know the person?
- What space do they have for the artwork?
- Do they have any favorite artists or sculptors?
- How much are you willing to spend?
How well do you know the person?
Most of the sculptures that we sell as gifts are given to someone very close to the giver. Moms, dads, sons, daughters, lovers, spouses and very close friends. Those people are usually very easy to choose a sculpture for because the giver knows them so well and usually a particular sculpture has a mutual meaning. A popular sculpture for a daughter to give to her dad is “First Dance.” Almost all daughters remember dancing on their daddy’s feet and that memory is very precious to both of them. Another sculpture subject could be a hobby both share such as “Down the Backside” for skiers or “Abigail’s Dragon” if they share a love of fantasy.
If you wish to give a sculpture to a friend who will know will love the sculpture but you are not sure which one would be their choice, a gift certificate in their name gives them the opportunity to choose.
What space do they have for the artwork?
If you are contemplating a painting or other two dimensional object as a gift, you must take décor and wall space into consideration. A big complaint that I hear from many people is that they have no wall space left. Sculpture is much more versatile. Bronze sculpture can go indoors or outdoors and can be moved from place to place until just the right location is found. And, unless the décor is very rigid, many sculptures adapt easily to many different decors.
Do they have any favorite artists or sculptors?
Of course, we are always available to help you choose a Tritel sculpture as a gift and we always love being part of the surprise. And, if there is a particular artist that you are looking for, we are aware of many venues to find artwork by that artist. We hope that your first choice will be a Tritel sculpture, but we are also happy to help you find an artwork that you may have in mind.
How much are you willing to spend?
When you are considering an artwork purchase and you are considering your budget it is important to remember that with artwork size is not an indicator of quality. Always be clear as to how much you are prepared to spend. A person is far more likely to appreciate a smaller piece of original art that meets all of the previous requirements, rather than a larger cheap piece that you felt made it appear that you had spent more money.
At the end of the day, you always have the option of asking the intended recipient for their input. This can be done discreetly or directly, depending on how much of a surprise you want the gift of original art to be. Sometimes, it is better to check that it is what they want, rather than buy the wrong gift.
Bonnie Tritel
2/18/10
