2 minute read
THE TAKEAWAY
THE TAKEAWAY
Harold Garde
HAROLD GARDE
We couldn’t be more grateful for the time that we share with those whose stories we tell; the men and women we learn from and are inspired by. We recently lost a good friend when Harold Garde passed away at age 99.
Harold was a renowned abstract expressionist; a great painter whose bold and provocative work hangs in galleries worldwide. He was relentlessly curious and creatively fearless. He knew, in his mid 90s, that his time was limited but he refused to play it safe and repeat that which he knew would sell. He continued to experiment and risk failure by exploring new techniques and challenging himself creatively. He wasn’t afraid to make mistakes because, in his words, “I have to allow mistakes to happen because when I leave them there, they’re not mistakes anymore.”
It’s a philosophy for living that we all can embrace. If we don’t risk failure, if we’re afraid to make mistakes, we never give ourselves the chance to step back and realize, as Harold was able to do, that they really weren’t accidents after all.
Harold once told us, “Every finished painting is like a scar to me because the intention was to create something that exceeded what’s finally there. So even though I take pleasure in what I’ve done, I still feel that maybe my best work is yet to come.” It was that desire to continue challenging himself, that belief that maybe the best was yet to come, that fueled Harold’s passion for life. He wasn’t afraid of scarring his reputation, of disappointing galleries or collectors. “I am the only critic I care about,” he said.
In his final year, Harold finally admitted that his body of work was significant and important, a testament to his creative vision and endless curiosity. We’ll miss our friend but are forever grateful for the life lessons he shared every time we got together.
