The Perfect Gift

This is one of my favorite stories...the story of the perfect birthday gift.  I bought this print of the canning jars at a Pier One Imports store years and years ago for around $25 all framed...and I love it!  I love the loose watercolor...and the soft, but bright colors.  It has moved from home to home...and I when I looked at new houses I literally would think as I walked through the kitchens...where will the canning jars go?


I also have a dear friend Patsy who is an avid canner...and she often commented on my picture when she visited.  She loved it too.

So I decided that I needed to find her one.  Over the course of a year or so I looked every time I went to Pier One...and anywhere else they sold prints and posters. Eventually it dawned on me that I was able to make out the name of the artist on the print...and I tried to find her on line.  Lo and behold I found a picture of the print and it linked to a site that said "contact the artist"....so I did.  

We had a great e-mail conversation but unfortunately she had sold the rights to the painting...but she was willing to paint me an original and I could give my print to Patsy.  I was interested...but I was quite happy with my print and I couldn't really afford an original.  Then I had a great idea! I called Brian, Patsy's husband, and I told him I had the perfect birthday gift for his wife.  If he would pay for it...I would do all the work and we would give it to her together.  He was in....he knew it was the perfect gift.

So here it is....the perfect gift for my friend who has been known to fill her china cupboards with her beautiful canning. It hangs in her house in Maine and is titled "Sealed With a Kiss."

But the story doesn't end there.  While vacationing in Hawaii Patsy was struck by a nautical fish painting in their hotel room....she thought it looked like it was done by the same artist as the jars....but she had forgotten her name. Brian thought she was crazy but she wrote down the name and sure enough it was the same artist. Like I said....the perfect gift!

I tried to retrace that search I did years ago to link to and give credit to the artist but had no luck.  All I know is her first or last name is Taylor. I'll have to work on that....maybe Patsy knows.

Patsy did know...and here's the link to the post about the answer.