The Value of Art

The short, rotund man gasped for air as he glared at the beautiful face above him. The illusion that had grasped him in the painting seemed to be seared in his mind.

"I will sue you. I will sue you. Using your powers in public against me?" He coughed until his face turned an unflattering shade of red. "When I am done, you will not have enough money to dye the mess on your head you call hair."

Aisling's face turned cold at the threat. She could overlook most things, but a wave of unknown anger always overwhelmed her when people mentioned her hair.

"Are you certain I used any powers?" She asked icily.

"Of course, I saw a ghost…" He paused, realising the gravity of the following words. "You tried to kill me."

He did not dare to speak about the things that he had seen. But, he could not let the woman go without consequences.

Aisling laughed and turned to the patrons who were looking at the incident. Nadia walked towards her, hoping to defuse the situation before escalation. However, Aisling lifted a hand to stop her without allowing her to speak.

"Who has had an opportunity to look at this painting?"

Silence fell before most of the people lifted their hands. Aisling looked at the crowd and pointed at a young man who looked shy and uncomfortable.

"What did you see?"

The young man opened and closed his mouth severally before speaking. "At first, it was only an endless road and then, it seemed to open up to a sunflower field. Then…" He stopped talking.

"Do not be afraid. Continue." Aisling smiled.

Uncertainty remained on the young man's face, but he felt encouraged by the beautiful painter. "I think I saw my younger sister running and laughing in the sunflower field. My sister… She died over ten years ago."

Murmurs broke out in the gallery as people looked at the young man with suspicion and doubt.

Aisling smiled at the young man. "Thank you. As I said before, look with your eyes, and see with your soul. When you open up to the art, the art opens up to you."

She walked closer to the piece and looked at it with nostalgia as if she was not the one who had painted it. "Most of you gave a cursory glance at this painting. From the faces, I realised that only a few of you saw with the soul."

She paused and looked back at the crowd. "My work is not a smear of paint on canvas. Each simple representation is a spiritual journey, waiting to be explored."

"You cannot escape responsibility by trying to use stupid buzzwords. We will let the courts decide if you have broken the laws by using your powers unreasonably." The angry man finally managed to stand up, but his anger remained.

Aisling was not shaken. She did not even seem to hear him.

"This painting is called 'Road to Paradise' because it gives a glimpse of the other side. I am not saying it is the actual view of life after death," her sharp silver eyes rested on Jim Smith for a meaningful moment. "but it captures and amplifies the feelings one associates with the other side."

The looks of surprise on the patrons' faces were wonderful to Aisling. She could hear the value of her paintings skyrocketing in real-time. But she retained an indifferent look on her face.

"When most people look at the 'Road to Paradise', they will see a loved one. In most cases, the image is vivid and life-like but based on memories, past relationships and imagination. However, some people who are laden by negative emotions related to the death of other people could see representations of their guilt, often, perceived as ghosts."

She looked at the terrified man who looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I like to think of my art as a mirror for the soul. Not everyone will like what is reflected. Discretion is advised." She smiled brightly.

This time, no one applauded. Instead, someone asked Nadia about buying a painting for his collection. More voices joined in the questioning.

Aisling's eyes glowed and almost turned into dollar signs.

"Do not think you can escape responsibility. Wait for the police to come to your door. You will rue this day when you crossed me." Jim Smith shouted and turned intending to leave with flair.

"Why call the police? You are claiming that I used my powers to harm the members of the public. You should report to the Sentinels."

The rotund man froze in his steps at the words. He had said the words because he wanted to leave with some dignity. He had not intended to call the police. He was aware that Aisling was a tough nut to crack, and he would not gain anything from going against her.

He thought that he would just scare her a little by threatening her with the police. After all, she had used a spell. He was sure that he had heard her say something that sounded like a spell before he had been trapped in the painting.

But she was completely unafraid. Otherwise, she would not bring up the Sentinels.

He looked back at her and saw the knowing eyes with the annoying smile. He turned and left quickly.

Nadia sighed with relief when he saw the devious man leave the gallery. She turned back to the other patrons.

"The paintings will be sold at an auction at a later date. You will, of course, receive invitations to bid when the time comes." She paused for effect. "I would like to remind everyone of the waiver they signed while purchasing the tickets to this showing."

"Ms Flynn and the gallery cannot be held liable for any mental distress experienced due to the artwork. The gallery will remain open for one more hour. Please appreciate this beautiful work because the chance might not come again."

The crowd dispersed as people found a spot to look at the paintings. Unlike the casual atmosphere before, everyone stood before the pieces with a thirst for a profound experience.

The pretentious words of art critics and the constant comparison of the style with ancient painters could no longer be heard.

Nadia pulled Aisling to the side. "Why didn't you tell me about the effect of your paintings? This showing could have been grander."

Aisling laughed. "The value of art lies in its mysterious nature, don't you think? Too many people before the paintings will dilute the profoundness."

"I thought you wanted to get a lot of money from your art."

"I will." She took another look at Nadia. "You know, for a gallery coordinator, you are strangely obtuse about paintings."

Nadia felt embarrassed. She loved her job, but she could only judge artwork based on the technical aspects. She had never understood the soul of art.

Aisling laughed. "It is not a bad thing. After all, I chose you."

Nadia felt confused. She was the one who had chosen Aisling. The young artist had come to the gallery and told her she wanted to hold a show. She had been a sceptic about the newcomer in the circle, but she had been pleasantly surprised after seeing the work.

When she had reached out to the owner, she had thought it would be difficult to convince him to approve a solo show for a complete newbie. He had accepted without a lot of questions. She had thought that he trusted her.

She looked at Aisling talking to some of the patrons and wondered if she was missing something.