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I just had my first - (totally disastrous!!) exhibition - where I didn't even sell a single painting... I was ripped-off for PHP40,000. The half page press release in the Manila Bulletin ended up as a single paragraph in Tik@$tik - or some such tabloid newspaper. All my paintings were crammed together on 3/4 of one wall of the gallery in question - and they were up for less than 36 hours!!!!!!!! Almost enough to put me off panting for life!! (I gave the bloody lot away - every single one of them!) ...Only saving grace was, there were plenty of eager takers for the free paintings amongst some of Ermita's bar girls! When one potential customer tried to haggle the price of one painting down to, basically, the cost of the frame - I decided to withdraw the whole lot from sale! Later that same day, I got a friend to come around with his little "owner" jeep. We gathered up the entire collection of exhibition paintings and proceeded to go around Ermita, Manila - giving them away for free!! I am very happy to report that Hotel La Corona were willing recipients of two of my paintings, (although, I suspect - because I have been a long-term guest of the place - this may have been more out of politeness than anything!?!!) Anyway, the rest of the paintings went to various people like, as I said, some of the local bar girls - who really could not afford to buy one; not even at cost price for the materials. I am happy to report that there was something of a scramble for the paintings - with the whole lot gone in less than an hour and nowhere near enough to go around for all the people that wanted one! It done me a power of good to see my collection going to grateful recipients and, for the time-being at least, I am going to forget about even trying to sell any of my own work and just concentrate on painting for fun - and basically just giving away the finished paintings to anyone that wants them. Cheers!

Hehe! You are very welcome, my good friend! And thank you too, kind sir, for posting your wonderful words!