Serendipity

When Mandy and I visited Vietnam last year, I bought myself a painting which I really loved. The artist was such a lovely person and was so excited when I said I would like to buy the painting. He and his daughter treated Mandy and I so kindly, making us sit down and giving us each a bottle of water while he prepared the canvas for travelling home to Australia. By our standards, the painting cost next to nothing, yet he was so happy to have made the sale. It made me feel very humble and now, on reflection, I wish I had bought more paintings from him. I hope he is still in his studio in Hoi An because I will pay him another visit if I ever return.
When we returned home, the painting was relegated to the back of the cupboard while I decided what to do with it. The exorbitant cost of framing was one reason for my hesitation, in addition to which I wasn't even sure that I wanted it framed, or even where I was going to hang it. So my painting languished in the cupboard until one day it occurred to me that the cushion I was making was a perfect match with the colours in the painting and I instantly knew what to do with the painting and where I was going to hang it.
Rather than have the painting framed, I stretched it over a canvas frame myself and I really like the effect. I just couldn't envisage this picture with a frame as I thought it would detract from the work. Now it hangs over an armchair which is adorned with cushions in exactly the same colours. Serendipity!