(Photo by Tara Larson Chang)

In the post about Cory Godbey I mentioned my pre-SFAL plans to purchase work from artists of whom I had not previously been a patron, at least of original pieces. In the booth next to Cory Godbey were two more of my long-time favorite artists, Annie Stegg Gerard and Justin Gerard.

Both Annie and Justin are regular attendees to Spectrum Fantastic Art Live events, and somewhere in between the first event and the fourth, these two creative, kind individuals found one another and got married. One of these days I would love to own an Annie Stegg Gerard original painting. This year my focus was on Justin Gerard’s work, and one eye-catching piece in particular.

(Annie and Justin’s booth space, photo from Gallery Gerard)

The Gerard Gallery booth space at Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 4 was a space of wonder. Situated in a line that started with the booth of Spectrum 22 Award winner (Unpublished category) Paul Bonner and followed with that of Cory Godbey, Annie Stegg Gerard and Justin Gerard rounded out a foursome where you could lose yourself in fairy tale worlds for hours on end. And Omar Rayyan was just across the aisle, so make that hours AND hours that you could lose yourself. There is no telling how many times over the three day weekend that I stopped to look through Justin Gerard’s originals, but I can assure you there were many visits.

That being said, it was during my visit on Saturday morning before the show opened, the first time I really got a chance to engage with the art, that a specific Justin Gerard creation called out to me.

My picture of it does not do it justice. The detail is incredible. The moment I saw it, I knew that I wanted to bring it home. I hovered near the Gerard Gallery booth as the show opened and inquired of Annie whether or not it was still available. She said that it was and shared with me that the piece won the Best of Show award in the monochromatic category at Norwescon. Justin was behind the curtain and when he came out I expressed my interest in the piece, shook his hand and ran off to get ready to moderate a panel. Later I was able to return to hear more about the bidding war that took place over Annie’s Moonchild painting (seen behind Justin in the opening image) and to find out more about the drawing that so captivated me. It was sweet to find out that the young elfin thief was inspired by Annie. They are such a cute, and incredibly talented, couple. Stepping into their studio space must be like walking through an enchanted portal.

The price paid for being an involved part of the show is that you never have the time to spend talking at length to every artist whom you admire. It is a price I am happy to pay for the honor of being able to do my part to make the show special for fans, patrons and artists. What time I did get to spend talking to Annie and to Justin is a treasured memory, which I will recall every time I look at this work.

Like the original I brought home from Cory Godbey, this piece, and really each of Justin Gerard’s creations, draws fragments of memories of sitting in my childhood home in Nebraska, or riding in the family car across the state to visit relatives, reading stories of ordinary mortals transported to fantastical settings…getting lost in the worlds of heroines and heroes who met, and when necessary defeated or outwitted, the most imaginative of creatures. Justin Gerard’s art makes me want to read, and makes me want to daydream, and I assure you that the emotional connection that stirs up those desires is meant to be the highest compliment that I can pay.

Thank you Annie Stegg Gerard and Justin Gerard for being such an integral part of all of the Spectrum Fantastic Art Live events, but particularly number four. It was a special, memorable weekend and you both played a large roll in that for me and for many of the other attendees to the show.