Not everyone gets lucky enough to find their soul mates. Even fewer people are lucky enough to keep them around. Corey and bailey have been inseparable since 1993 and after a few years of having to be apart they don't themselves in a new city living...
After doing a few paintings and sending them around town to see if this is the path I should be on I get invited to be a part of a pretty big art show. Now I've never had my stuff up somewhere before. It's different in college because they force you to do stuff with your work. You're connected to so many art insititues it's more rare when your stuff isn't up somewhere around the city. They show you off as a prized student then when it's all over they send your stuff back and its on to the next thing.
But this is a whole different ball game out here. I didn't know anyone around here at first and my stuff isn't expected to be in the shows. Not this soon at least. So it's a honor that this time I have the chance to start off strong with my work. That someone saw my stuff and wanted other people to be able to see it too. Granted there was artistic opportunities around the corner here, this little Canadian girl was feeing lucky to be able to have her art on display this quickly.
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I slip on the nice dress that I had bought just for this occasion and pull my hair back into a low pony tail. I curl a few pieces to frame my face and add some light makeup before calling it a day. I go to the studio to grab my paintings and head to the convention center down town to set up. They show me the way to the hall where the other artists were showing off what they had and I gasp. There was so many talented people here I was quite intimidated. Some I recognized and some were new like me. This is the first time I've been in a art show and I wasn't sure what to do. How to talk to these people or if they will even get what I was trying to say with these paintings. I am a artist so of course I'm worried about stuff like this. I can't help it, I just hope it all goes well.
I find my table and set up my pieces around it. They had my name on a poster nice and big on top of the black cloth and it warmed my heart.
This is where I start.
Eventually people start to come and they walk through the different exhibits. Not a lot of people come over to me as I keep to myself over here and it made me quite nervous. I didn't want to seem desperate but I felt like I had good stuff and no one could see that from where I'm sitting. As the seconds tick by I get deflated about this whole art thing. I start to fiddle with my fingers for a little as I look at the ground. Maybe I wasn't that good? Maybe this wasn't my calling after all?
"Excuse me miss" someone says and I look up. I see Corey stand there with the ticket I left him and I smile big as ever. He had on a nice black suit with a light pink shirt to match my dress and it just warmed my heart how much effort he put into this. "I'm looking for my super talented best friend" he says and I just shake my head.
I run right into his arms and pull him into a hug. I wasn't sure if he was going to make it out here because he just got back from playing in Tampa not very long ago but he's here just like he promised. Not that I ever had a doubt.
"I'm so happy you're here" I whisper in his ear.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world" he promises.
I show him all the paintings I did and he loved them. And with him being who he was it got a lot more attention on my things. Eventually this place was packed with people admiring my work. People were asking for my name and if I had any others like the ones I had here today. I wasn't planning on selling but if the price is right I don't see why not. The only one I refuse to sell was the music one, which was the one people asked for the most.
"What did you say your name was again" a older woman asks.
I swear she looked familiar and I couldn't put my finger on it. She looked important so maybe she was the one who asked me to be here tonight. "Bailey Mitchell" I finally answer.
"Well, Miss Mitchell, I work at the art institute of Chicago and each month we feature up and coming artists. Do you mind if we have some of your pieces on display there next month" she asks.
My eyes nearly pop out of my head as I cover my blinding smile with my hands. "Oh my god, are you serious" I gasp.
"Very. Your Musical piece is a true work of art and a lot of your others are amazing too. I haven't heard of you but seeing as you're from Canada it makes since that I haven't. But I think it would be easy to get your name out there with your style of paintings. This city loves new artists and I don't think you would disappoint them. We would love to feature you as a up and coming artist" she explains.
"Yes" I nearly yell. "I would love to!"
She hands me a business card and she takes one of mine. We talk for a little bit before she goes to look around at some of the other artists. But from what I could tell she is the only one she offered a spot to.
"Hey" Corey starts. "I got your hot chocolate and hot dog. A weird combination of you ask me but each pretty great in its own right" he shrugs as he holds up my food.
"Guess what" I screech nearly making him send my food flying. But he sets it down before turning to me.
"What is it" he wonders.
"They're going to put my stuff up in the art museum" I cheer and his eyes go big. He gets this cheesy smile on his face as he looks straight into my eyes.
"Seriously" he almost yells.
"I'm so serious" I assure him.
He pulls me into another hug and this one a bit closer and a bit longer than the other. I just close my eyes and I melt in his arms. He keeps his hold on me as I bury my face into his chest. "I'm so proud of you Bai-by" he whispers in my ear and I smile big.
"Thanks Apple Core, couldn't have done it without you" I insist.
Eventually the show ends which made me sad. It was slow at the start but I had a great turn out in the end. I was feeling inspired by the people and other people's art I couldn't wait to get back into the studio. So I pack up what I had done and get ready to go back to the studio to drop my pieces. Corey leans against the car as he waits for me to get in.
"You know, I saw a lot of truly amazing of pieces of art tonight, some worth millions and some worth more. But none of them had a thing on you" he says.
I just stare at him as I try to figure out where he was going with that compliment. "Thank you. I really love this dress" I admit.
"The dress is fine" he claims as he moves a piece of hair out of my face, "but you are incredible."
I feel my breathing hitch as he gets closer to me. I felt like crying because I don't understand why I feel like this. All these emotions... he put them there and I don't know that they meant. Why he makes me feel like this. It just don't make any sense. After all this time why is this happening now? What's changed? And why does his opinion about my art or what I look like matter more than anything?
