Learn Something New Everyday

Well, I have to say, my day didn't start off so well.

As a matter of fact, I really felt like saying, "Great, June is starting out to be a wash just like May."

It was vetting day at London International Fine Art Fair, and I was a vetting assistant, wandering after very intelligent people writing out rejection slips for pieces of art that didn't meet the high standards of the fair.

Why would someone volunteer to do this for free?

To pad a CV so as to get further in the art world at large.

Ideally, one wants to vet with a committee pertaining to their subject of choice. In my case, Old Master paintings. What straw did I pull?

Glass.

I was vetting glass today. So I stood there, watching people leaning over and looking at fragile objects while they decided if the stoppers were genuine or not. I was paralyzed with the fear that they may be completely snobby, secure in the fact that they are glass geniuses.

Or they could be lovely.

Lucky for me, they were lovely. I now know much more about glass than I did earlier in the day.

I mean, did you know that yellow glass is made from uranium? And that gold makes red glass? Yea, betcha didn't already know that one. Well, maybe you did, but unlikely.

I mean, who other than glass experts and chemists knock around with that kind of knowledge in their heads?

Weirdos, that's who.

So, with these and several other nuggets of knowledge RE: Glass stored away for future reference I have decided that it wasn't a total wash. That and Glass Guy may have given me the art dealer - client relationship quote of the decade:

"Taxi drivers, prostitutes, and art dealers - we all have to take what comes through the door."

Amazing.

After the better part of a day bonding with my vetting committee, and a ceramics expert from Christeby's auction house, I was off for tea with Charity case, the lovely man who introduced me to Scottish Hart (of "I'll introduce you to the director of the National Gallery of Scotland." fame).

We had a long tea in the sun of Holland Park. Over the course of this tea I've been brought up to date on his life and the comings and goings of his charity, as well as encouraged to get back in touch with Scottish Hart.

So, at the end of the day it comes down to a profitable day. I have a new quote, three new business cards, an invite to the House of Commons to watch Charity Case debate for support of his charity, and an invite to football to pick up the thread with Scottish Hart again.

Here's to what comes through the door, eh?