One May Sunday, on my way home from a book sale in the Wairarapa, I called in at The Dowse. I wanted to quickly scope out the Blumhardt gallery, where our final Handshake 3 show – Reflect – will be staged in August:

While I was photographing and measuring, one of the desk staff – Yagoda – found me and asked me to come down to reception. Here I met Donna:

who’d just entered the building wearing one of my This too shall pass brooches. Yagoda introduced me as the artist.  We were then joined by Donna’s mother, Robyn, who pulled aside her coat and top to reveal A warm hug:

which had been gifted to her by Donna in hard times and which she now continues to wear daily, pinned out of sight to her bra.

Really, nothing could please me more. My work, doing its work.