​The Release of "My Little Hostages"
Update to the Huffington Post Article:

​"I was not leaving without my artworks.  It had already been 2.5 years at this point of no access to 32 of my most recent paintings, a few valued older client originals that had been shipped in, and their digital image captures."

Once the artworks were released, the smaller works were picked up by the gallery and traveled in style to Nevada.  I continued on later in the van with the larger paintings, just prior to a new cancer diagnosis and relocation for treatment at Stanford Hospital for the next year and a half..

I had been patient. Having been forced to file multiple documents over two years to provide'evidence' that I 'own' my original paintings, and that my reproduction house does not own my work. I had been forced to retain counsel and suffer delay after delay, providing proof and losses in unreasonable multiplicity, proof of inventory, both mine and theirs, to the plaintiff's attorney upon their endless requests.

When I left Florida on May 15th, 2015 to go fight for my artwork in Texas, I packed the van light.  I was expecting not to leave Dallas without my van filled with my art and I was preparing to stay as long as need be for the fight to get my 32 original paintings and 12 match-prints.  Once I arrived I realized this would take awhile, so I had my studio closed up at The Hub in New Smyrna Beach, Florida by a loyal assistant, and I hunkered in for the long-haul.  

I was not leaving without my artwork.  It had already been 2.5 years at this point of no access to my most recent paintings, and a few valued older client originals.  I released the attorney who had not been successful up to that point and I was eventually able to negotiate the release of my work, and that of 3 other artists directly with Houillion.  It took almost 5 months but I prevailed. Once the artwork was released, it continued on it's newly scheduled destination in the West.     

While no intentional damage was done, nicks and dents, mostly due to ignorance of how to store original paintings occurred in a few cases.  Mostly by the people trying to sort, separate and identify various artists' work for review by judges, juries and insurance companies... that is clearly evident in the above photos.  But, all-in-all, they fared pretty well, were kept air conditioned and only a few will need touch-up work.

So while the battle rages on still for the primary parties, and most of the artists and collectors with large catalogs of canvas lay on the floor, who were like me, third-party defendants, I escaped with my paintings, and finally, they are now available through select galleries on the west coast. 

Next plan... fly back to Florida to gather other finished paintings, work in-progress and my studio/condo/sculpture that were left in storage and prepare to move it all west now as well!  After 20 years, I guess it's time to return to the California coast.  
​
​Stay tuned for the location! 
​
​