Help!

I need somebody, not just anybody - and - European sketchbook preview

Tessa admires “Tessa, Reading”. Potatopuppyception.

5.16.26

London

Dear Art Friends,

The temptation to dive into an update from London is outweighed by the more important and urgent information I’d like to share with you, so at least I can say with confidence that I attempted any and all options available to me. I am calling on your help!

The show here, the Open Exhibition with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, was a success. My piece “Tessa, Reading” was framed brilliantly by Soho Frames in London, and is currently in the Mall Galleries with the rest of the show, available. It is the largest piece in the show, 52 x 72 inches, painted entirely from life in transparent watercolor, my best work to date, created specifically for this exhibition. Infused with love, it shows my girlfriend Tessa reading a book, at life size. It is framed with an exceptionally high-quality frame, museum acrylic fronting and wood sides, floated perfectly with a warm white outer border to match the paper upon which it is painted, the edges of which are visible.

Here’s where I need your help: When the show ends after May 19th, I have a way of taking the painting itself home with me should it not sell, but what I do not have is a way of taking it home in the frame. The piece, should it remain in the frame, is logistically impossible for me to take back or ship.

If it does not sell by the 19th, on the 21st the piece in the frame becomes my responsibility. I will very likely remove it from the frame with the help of the framers, and the frame will go…?

What I am asking of you is (and after this ask, have fun seeing some of the art I’ve made so far on this trip below) if you, or anyone you know has any connection to London and might be able to either purchase the piece intact, in the frame, or is interested in taking it into their care in the frame starting the 21st (collection day), I would greatly appreciate a text, call, or email, WhatsApp works too. My cell is +1 (206) 992 - 1230, my email is david@DavidOSmithArtist.com. Although I’ve already heard plenty of ideas about what I should do, feel free to send those my way too.

On the “ideas for me” front, what I’m looking for isn’t quite “you should see if a local gallery would try to sell it!” As much as “I am good friends with a local gallery owner who would love to take it in and try to sell it,” or “I have a friend just outside London who has a massive wall this would be perfect for” or “My friend runs a hotel in London and this would be perfect for the lobby” or “My friend is one of London’s top art collectors and is interested in the largest transparent watercolor figure painting from life she can possibly get her hands on,” or “I just love portraits of women reading, this would be such a good gift for my daughter,” or “I love your work and I would like to own the best thing you’ve made so far…
etc etc.

Thank you so much for your help. Bear in mind this is a very quick turnaround - the show is up through the 19th, today is the 16th, and I would ideally be handing it off the 21st. I leave London on the 24th, so I have a few days to do whatever is necessary.

And now, enjoy some Euro-sketchbook work from London and Paris!

Cheers,

David

P.S.: before scrolling down to look at the pretty pictures I’m sharing with you - consider how incredible it would be if you could, actually, help me to solve this challenge. Can you even imagine how grateful I would be? No, you cannot. I’m already massively grateful you are reading this - that’s more than enough! Thank you for your continued curiosity in the work I make. All best!

Some Paris streets and Potatopuppy all curled up asleep / Parisian morning napping, ink and color sticks, detail of 12 x 16” sketchbook page.

Drawing together at the Louvre, one of the Marly Horses, ink and color graphite stick, 6 x 8”, 5.8.26

At the Musee d’Orsay, After Guillaumet, “La Seguia, near Biskra, Algeria”, graphite, 6 x 8”, 5.10.26.

Drawing under the Eiffel Tower with limited time - colored graphite stick on detail of sketchbook page, 12 x 16”, 2026.

Heron in Hyde Park, ink on paper, detail of 12 x 16” sketchbook page, 5.12.26

Stone-Enj! and a portrait of me and Tessa, from memory, from imagination. graphite, 12 x 16”, 5.13.26. “In ancient times…Hundreds of years before the dawn of history…Lived a strange race of people…The DRUIDS… No one knows who they were…Or what they were doing…”

Little Mandarin Duckies at Hyde Park, graphite and graphite color stick, detail of 12 x 16” sketchbook page, 5.19.26. They came right up to us. Beautiful little guys, I’d never seen or drawn them before.

Portrait of Andrew Graham-Dixon done during his talk at the Mall Galleries this Thursday, fascinating! graphite, 6 x 8”, 5.14.26. I gave him the drawing and he signed a copy of his book for me - can’t wait to dig into it - wonderful revelations about Vermeer and the role of religion and women in his art.

Portrait Demo for the Friends of the Mall Galleries, 5.15.26, thank you SO MUCH everyone who came and who took me up on my National Gallery drawing invite afterwards! “Alex” graphite, 18 x 24” about 90 minutes.

Portrait Demo of Antonello Da Messina’s “Portrait of a Man” (the title says it all!) at the National Gallery, London, graphite, 6 x 8’“, 5.15.26

Figure Drawing from Life of “Mariia”, color graphite sticks, 12 x 16”, made in about 2 hours, 5.15.26 at the Hesketh Hubbard Art Society open figure studio, thank you Martin and Simon for the invitation! Media is National Gallery Brand Color Graphite Sticks (I have no idea what they are and neither does anyone else - the Stonehenge of Art Supplies!)

“Caroline”, 15’ drawing also from the Hesketh Hubbard open studio, 6 x 8”, 5.15.26

Such a good moment here - with great friend Tom Foster in front of Potatopuppy, at the Mall Galleries today. Tom has been with me since the beginning of Art-As-Career as a true ride or die friend. Our rowing and summer together in 2018 in the UK cemented my decision to become an artist professionally, a formative life-changing experience. Thank you Tom for making it to the show! What a full and joyous 8-year circle!

White Pelican (in four attitudes) from today in St James Park in London, after visiting with Tom and Caroline. ink and color stick, detail of 12 x 16” sketchbook page, 5.16.26. I look forward to going back to see the pelicans again a bit closer up (I was maybe 150 feet away at the very closest), especially at feeding time, 2:30pm. There have been pelicans in the park since 1664 when they were gifted by the Russian Ambassador to Charles II.