Congratulations Michele Rushworth!
 

Michele, et al,

Being a Seattle, Washington resident and "across the pond" neighbor of Michele Rushworth, our esteemed moderator here, I would like to take the opportunity to say a heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS for a marvelous unveiling of your portrait of Edgar Martinez...a Seattle "Mariner" in the Major League Baseball Association.....for his retirement and in honor of his record setting career.

My wife and I watched on television tonight the unveiling of this beautifully rendered painting depicting his amazing swing he's perfected during his 18 years in the Majors....his WHOLE career spent right here in Seattle....in front of all 45,000 plus fans that remained at Safeco Field for the events. It was SOMETHING to behold indeed!

Michele, I can't tell you how proud I am of you for producing this marvelous commission piece. It was a perfect addition to a very emotionally charged event.

Job well done!!!! Three cheers for MICHELE!!!

:exclamati :exclamati :exclamati

Your Puget Sound Friend,
Geary

Way to go Michele!!!! Congratulations. :thumbsup:

Michele, I am dying to see some photos posted here! Wish I could have seen this, although I did send my whole extended family in Seattle to cheer for you.

I'll bet your heart is still pounding! I am so happy for you!

Thanks, folks! I haven't got photos ready to post yet so a description will have to do for now.

It was a pretty major unveiling party last night, I have to say. My husband and I were sitting up in the Owners' Suite above home plate, with the Mayor sitting in front of us, a Senator next to us and the Commissioner of all of Major League Baseball behind us. Down on the field, after the game, we could see the whole team arrayed, the player who was being honored, the Governor, some other bigwigs.... and right next to them beside the red carpet, my big painting on a gold easel under a black drape, all being watched by 40,000 people.

Of course, the portrait was only a tiny part of all the recognition heaped upon this most deserving of athletes, Edgar Martinez. He's beloved by the fans, not just for his accomplishments in baseball, but also because of his kind spirit and warm heart. The ceremonies went on for 90 minutes, of which the unveiling of my painting took up only a few minutes.

But the portrait was displayed there for all to see the whole time, and up on the big screen, too, as it was unveiled by the team's CEO for Edgar. The painting, along with my name, rated a mention in today's newspaper and there was also some TV coverage. We taped it but I haven't watched it yet.

I introduced myself to many of the various luminaries in attendance and gave several of them an 8x10 print of the painting (in a nice folder with my business card and contact information, of course!) I'll follow up with each of them with a "thank-you-and-so-nice-to-meet-you" letter so that perhaps some future commissions might come of this.

Lots of fun -- and now it's time for me to crash! This past two weeks have been exhausting. It will be a relief to get back to my normal quiet routine in the studio. I need a nap!

Here are a couple of photos I took at the event. They were taken with my camera, up high in the Owner's box which is why the "closeup" is so fuzzy. You can get the idea of what it was like, though. The man on the right doing the unveiling is the Mariners CEO.

I'll be putting some better "screen capture" shots from the TV coverage on my website when I get a chance.

(If the photos aren't here yet, they're coming. I'm still having trouble adding images to my SOG posts.)

Michele, you're keeping us in suspense! just dying to see these photos.. .

Sounds like it was a total success! Congratulations again!

Congratulations!!
 

I have a pretty good imagination yet I can't imagine how you must have felt. What an incredible experience that must have been for you.

I am very happy for you.

And I hope you get that well deserved nap.

:thumbsup:

Photos are up. Awesome, Michele! Congratulations!

Congratulations Michele!

I think you probably have several hundred more fans right here in the Forum. I hope we can all attend your next big unveiling, perhaps within the months ahead!

I have only known one artist who has had as much wide exposure with an introduction of a work, and his work was the new reverse side of the penny in 1959! I hope this painting will circulate and create amazing new opportunities for you.

Well done, and truly awesome photos of what must have been an even more awesome experience!

Garth

Wow Michele!
 

How absolutely thrilling! Could a painting be any more prominently displayed?

Congratulations!!
Let us know when the screen captures are up on your website?

Congratulations
 

This is great Michele. You may have opened up a long list of future commissions for other retiring baseball players.

David

I hope so, David. Yesterday I sent out thank you letters to all the baseball and political dignitaries I met at the event. I included samples of my other work and suggestons for possible future portraits (significant milestones in baseball, retirement of other executives, or family portraits.) We'll see.....!

Everyone:
When you paint,
imagine
you are here.
( Or better than this, she was on national television)

Some people had asked me to let them know when the photos of the unveiling were up on my site. Here they are: http://www.michelerushworth.com/news/edgarmartinez2.htm

I recently got a letter from Senator Slade Gorton (whom I met in the owner's box) saying how much he liked the painting. I also received a letter from Bud Selig (Commissioner of Major League Baseball) telling me he thought the painting was "magnificent" and that he hoped there might be an opportunity for me to create other portraits for the league in the future. (Me too!!!)

WooooHoooo Michele!! I wished I had taped that whole event even more now! This was such a cool thing for ALL of us! I am SO jealous. :( I suppose I have ZERO chance now at getting any portrait business in town.

Haha! Seriously......I'm so happy for you. Another "way-to-go" from your Seattle friend! ;)

Gear

Michele - I am really pleased for you - that must have been so exciting! Isnt this the 2nd time you have gotten on television with a portrait? Way to go!

Congratulations
 

Michelle -

I hope this is just the beginning of a series of wonderful sports portraits....Congratulations!

Michelle,

I was going to post the link to your site with the unveiling pictures. They are fantastic! I see it has been posted, but thought I might still encourage people to go see them.

What a big deal! Congratulations again.

Michele,

How wonderful for you! You must be over the moon. I hope this is just the beginning of a long series of signed and deposited checks.

I had a picture taken for the local newspaper similar to the one of you in front of the painting, I was wearing jeans, holding a brush, etc. I remember holding my stomach in until it was touching my backbone. I thought I looked pretty terrific. I did not realize until the picture had come out in the paper that the blasted photographer had taken the picture with a wide-angled lens. I was horrified, I looked like a hippo! People called up to congratulate me on the article and somehow felt impelled to ask if I had put on weight!

Sharon, the local paper did run the photo of me in jeans holding my brush. I took that photo myself, though, and attached it to the press releases I sent out. That way I can try to control a bit of what gets in the paper. Though, if I'd really thought about it, I'd have maybe put my head on Cameron Diaz' body, or maybe her head too, now that I think of it...!

You looked Mahvelous Dahling, just Mahvelous!

You had posted the painting in progress, but congratulations again on such a fabulous finish and such a stupendous event. You couldn't buy this publicity in a hundred years!

Well deserved!--TE