Serendipity

“Thank you, Rita, for sharing your beautiful work with us so we could, in turn, share it with Roy. Wishing you all the best – Jane”
This email was recently sent to me from Jane MacLeod, the President/CEO of Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville.

Roy Porter

The back story of “Roy Porter’s portrait is one of my favorite stories about the making of a charcoal portrait. I was visiting Cheekwood and touring the mansion when I ask a security guard named Roy Porter, if I could take photos of the art in the mansion. He said “Yes” as long as I did not use the flash on my camera. This brief meeting with Roy lead to the beginning of an amazing project. I told him I was an artist and photographer and that I did my portrait drawings in charcoal. As we chatted Roy said to me, “Would you take my picture?” “Sure, of course” was my reply and I began looking for a well lit place in the mansion to take a photograph. In one of the rooms there was a lovely window where the light was pouring in. I love using natural light whenever possible so I ask Roy to stand next to the window and look out the window. There it was, perfect lighting, the perfect pose and a willing and interesting man with lots of personality to photograph. We talked for a little while and he said for me to be sure and let him know when I finished his portrait because he wanted to show it to his friends at Cheekwood.

He must have thought it would be the next week when I would have his portrait finished. Well, a year later the drawing of Roy Porter was done. As I toured the mansion with a friend a year later I ask if Roy was there. An employee found him and we met in the same place where I had photographed him. I showed him a photo of the drawing on my phone and he was thrilled.

Jane presents Roy his portrait.

As I left the botanical gardens I decided to stop by the gift shop and browse around. In the gift shop was the President and CEO of Cheekwood, Jane MacLeod.  

I met her on another occasion and thought it would be a good idea to tell her about my photo shoot with Roy and how the drawing had come to be. She was delighted to hear the story and told me Roy would be recognized for his many years of employment at Cheekwood at their next staff meeting and felt the work presented a special opportunity to recognize his long employment with Cheekwood – and thus the work is now in his possession. Serendipity? Maybe.

Whatever set of circumstances brought Roy, the president of Cheekwood and me together on that day, at that particular time and with those amazing events I find hard to understand. Affirmation of my art is exciting and keeps me moving forward to see what God has for me next.