FLAMINGOS

“FLAMINGOS” By Nick Ringelstetter

This painting was inspired by a few key events in Nick’s life. In 2016 our painter made his first leap to Florida, and it reminded him of a time in his younger years when he and his family journeyed south to visit his grandmother. As you can see in the piece, these flamingos clearly represent a family of individuals, each with their own unique, but relatable aesthetic.But why flamingos? Not only are flamingos often viewed as a Floridian theme, but also interestingly enough, for a portion of our artist’s life, he truly believed them to be mythical creatures. The idea of these large, flying pink birds was always a fascinating concept for our artist, so getting to paint them was a bit of a mind-boggling experience in and of itself.

Not only is this painting visually satisfying, but it also holds a valuable reminder for our artist. It is clear that Nick has accepted himself for the strange and interesting character that he is, but he has also accepted that doing things to the beat of his own drum is what has made him so successful. Nick has come to learn that there is a method to this madness that we call life, and in short to him that means that you attract what you are. By projecting a positive mindset into the world around him, Nick is returned that same positivity from the cosmos themselves.

It may sound strange, but this is a formula that has proven itself to Nick time and time again, and certainly when this painting sold. The artist has been quoted saying that Florida tours are some of the most difficult ones he’s ever done for a handful of reasons, like high expenses and a distracted market of consumers. So when he was touring with this piece, Nick was really hoping to sell at least one original. He came close, this piece in particular even had a sold tag on it, but when the potential buyers got home they realized that the piece wouldn’t fit on their wall and they would have to pass.

This was an entirely new concept to Nick, as he never really considered that lacking the space would stop someone from purchasing an original. In his experience, it seemed that people would buy the work and figure out the spacing later, but that wasn’t the case this time. Now, down to his last dollar Nick held on to hope as he worked his last stop on the tour. A couple approached his booth and began discussing the piece with him, and when Nick divulged the backstory of his mysterious pal Tank, the couple’s interest in the piece grew.

Nick has come to learn over the years that as an artist, having a different perspective on life tends to sell. People become interested in seeing the way your brain works on the canvas and that is what really drives a purchase. The interested party did leave without buying the piece, but ended up getting ahold of Nick just after the show ended, offering $4,000 for this piece and another. This was a hard deal for Nick to take, but $4,000 was exactly what he needed to make it to his next tour in the Midwest. He accepted this deal knowing that this was the way of the universe, that the divide forces around us drove this sale to ensure that he could walk away from this tour with a lesson, but also the ability to carry on with his passions.

This may seem like a strange concept to some, but to the believers this piece serves as a reminder that life wants to work with us when we are on our truest paths to following our destiny.