Adios

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Professional Artist columnist Jack White in his trademark cowboy hat.

Don Meredith was my dear friend and the original voice of Monday Night Football. Arguably the best quarterback ever of the Dallas Cowboys, Don would close the show by singing Willie Nelson’s song “The Party’s Over”.

All good things must come to an end. About 17 years ago, I wrote my first article for Art Calendar in pencil on a yellow legal pad. At that time, printed in black and white, the magazine was about a third the size of what it has now become as Professional Artist. I realize the magazine has grown past my expertise. Professional Artist needs to get into the legal and tax stuff artists want to know about today. Legal pads are about as close as I can get to being an attorney; I’ve written nine books on marketing and improving your art.

I will miss hearing from all of you who say I’ve made a difference in your life. Many of you have become dear friends. I’ve enjoyed your growth and shared your glory. You are my children and will never leave my memory. This old, broken down cowboy has been thrilled to write for Professional Artist for so many years. The publication has become the top magazine for artists trying to make their way in this maze we call art marketing.

For the past five years, I’ve been doing longer articles for an online blog that reaches about 40,000 artists worldwide. It’s FASO.com, and I do two articles a month. Also, you can always reach me at [email protected]. As many of you know, I answer all emails.

Time has come for me to move on and make room for some fresh ideas. Last summer I suffered stroke, but because Mikki acted so quickly I had very little damage. I lost sight in my right eye, but my mind is sharper than before the stroke. I realize time is short; there are several more books I want to research and write. My book Abraham Lincoln: His Dark Side Exposed is now available on LuLu.com along with the other 14 I’ve written. All of my books are also on Senkarik.com. My book on the life and travels of the Apostle Paul should be published early next year.

I’ve had many wonderful honors bestowed on me. I’m the Official State Artist of Texas and was given the award of Texas Friend of Education. Governor Perry made me an honoree admiral in the Texas Navy. I have a street named after me, and the Texas Rangers gave me a gold badge engraved with my name, making me one of them. I include writing for Professional Artist in the same class as all of the above.

I’m not riding off into the sunset. I’ll continue to write until they bring six black horses to carry me away. When I get to heaven, I suspect I’ll be assigned the job of teaching angels how to mix color or lead classes in history.

Let me close with a song from my all-time favorite movie, The Sound of Music:

There’s a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall

And the bells in the steeple too

And up in the nursery an absurd little bird

Is popping out to say, “Cuckoo”

Regretfully they tell us but firmly they compel us

To say goodbye to you

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night

I hate to go and leave this pretty sight

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu

Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu

So “adieu.” Or, as we now say in Texas, “adios.”