CANVAS BLUES
Vignettes Regarding the Artwork of Brendon Kotes

LXV: Present

Brendon should have spent the rest of the day working. He had three active commissions that called to him, a few emails that begged responses, and a gallery showing to plan for the end of next month, but he found himself, just as Orion probably knew he would, sitting cross-legged on the floor with a giant binder and a mass of contracts and papers, wishing he had already hired someone to sort the logistics of his job into legible order.

How exactly did one go about calling up old clients and customers to ask, “Hello, has the painting not swallowed or spit out anyone who’s viewed it? No? Thank you. Please don’t call the psych ward. Have a good one.”

His internet search skills left much to be desired as he had a tendency to buy books he could pore over for information rather than reach for a computer or phone or anything in between. Maybe if he’d been more of a digital artist…

Evening had turned the studio into a red cloud by the time Brendon realized a generally easy solution. Why, call and let all previous customers know about the new gallery showing. Now, to figure out how to call each and every one of these customers without letting the phone grow horns and eat what social skills he possessed…

No, that wasn’t a good solution either.

Brendon found himself sitting at his paint-speckled work table late into the evening typing in names and addresses and feeling like a stalker. He found nothing and more nothing. Lists of honor rolls dotted with first and last names unconnected.

When the church sang the hour and donged eight times, the world sinking into dusk, Brendon found exactly what Orion thought he might: an obituary. He reached for his phone reluctantly and then for the business card he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off of.

“Brendon Kotes, a pleasure to hear from you.”

Was that a smug smile nestled in that voice? Assured laughter hinted at just beneath the surface. Brendon forced himself to ignore it.

“I found one.”

“I see.”

“Her name was Evelyn Yert.”

~~~~~~~~~

Next Chapter Coming Apr 28th!