What Happens to Art once it is sold...stories about the journey which keeps unfolding ....

"Window to the Soul" - Book Art, Encaustic and Mixed Media, 2009

"Window to the Soul" - Inside, Book Art, Encaustic and Mixed Media, 2009

Well, a funny thing happened to me a few weeks ago....I was preparing for the "Beyond the Cover", Beeswax meets Mica, Altered book, Encaustic Assemblage, a 3-day long summer art playshop....and I decided to stop into one of my favourite antique shops in Guelph, Chat Noir.....

I had to come back several times, as it wasn't opening until 11 am, and it was only 10 a.m...so I did some errands, came back but it still wasn't open....Yet something kept pulling me to wait..and not dash back home, which was a half an hour north,...I needed to get into the store....For some reason there was a VERY STRONG pull to wait.....I thought it was for some delicious finds for new work....antique finds or so I thought....So I went off to do some more errands..then came back....

Finally at 12:30 the store opened...I asked the owner if I could come in though he was still setting up as I had to be back and had been waiting to get in...found some really cool things for my mixed media art work...but along with the finds I also found "Window to the Soul" my very own art work (above images)....At first I was taken back...as I had sold this work back in 2009 at a collective gallery I belong to....it was odd to see it here...and even more odd was the gamut of emotions I was feeling....

I went home after this,  reflecting at what the Universe was telling me...and discovered a few interesting messages.   First that our work after it leaves us has a journey to take and stories to unfold, sometimes or always, way beyond our control....It was interesting that this book was calling me back...and this preceded by a few days the of teaching a great summer intensive on making encaustic mixed media books to a great group of students....I decided I needed to buy it back.....

So I went back two days later and bought it to keep it with me a little longer...and it was great to share with the students.

The second message I got from this, was to not 'hold so precious' our work, to value and respect it yes, to share it and trust the unfolding journey it will have...it will find its way to others sharing its message and beauty wherever it goes...and this one needed to be seen again by the Chat Noir's customers and to find me again.  I have decided I will hold onto it for a while and see what else and other wise things I might get from this book and the story that needs to unfold....

And once again it will find its way to someone else that needs to have it....

Interesting to me is how art resonates and shares even years after their birthing.....