Years ago I was very fortunate to meet a popular Columbus, Ohio Artist Emerson Burkhart. I was the display artist for the retail store The Fashion of Columbus, and was picked to setup an Art Show for Mr.Burkhart . While setting up, I noticed that one of the wires holding a painting was lose, so I preceded to tighten it with a screwdriver. To my shock, the screwdriver slipped off and went right through the painting, my heart stopped, and I thought I would be fired on the spot. I turned the painting around to see the price and again my heart stopped, when I saw that the painting cost more than $1700 dollars. I was raised to be honest, so expecting the worse, I reported it to Mr. Burkhart, and to my surprise he said “things like that happen, and I know you were only trying to help.” Needless to say I was relieved, he replaced the painting with another, and the show went on. We talked a lot that week, had lunch together a couple times, he invited me to see his Studio and see how he was to repair the damaged painting. Over the next couple years he gave me great advice on painting and selling my art. Thanks to his encouragement, I began to selling my artwork, and from that time on painting has been a life long pursuit and passion. He has since passed away, so this painting is in his honor.