I'm going with an old adage I've heard that says it's NEVER too late to say thank you.
So, here goes..."Thank you, Mr.Brian Pardini!"
Utterly whimsical and completely captivating, your gift to me was freely offered and spontaneously found. It embodies the spirit of fun and your playful presentation itself, highlighted the surprise and lent to the magic of receiving.
To those of you have no idea what I'm talking about...allow me to explain:
A few years ago I brought a few of my children into the Lincoln Center Community Library and was unexpectedly transported to a delightfully playful world of imaginative creativity. I was, for the first time, encountering Brian Pardini's display of incredibly cool driftwood pieces, which formed fantastic creatures, ingenious animals, and insightful people. Resting atop the neatly ordered book shelves and nestled into nooks and crannies these creations called to me...I simply couldn't get enough. My children and I wandered the library, lost in the allure of inventive pieces fashioned from the kind of material we had undoubtedly walked by countless times on our trips to Presque Isle and other jaunts down to the shores of Lake Erie. Now we were seeing natures gifts with new eyes- through the lens of possibility!
I researched Brian's work but never got up the nerve to reach out to tell him how his work inspired me with it's light-hearted creativity and use of what was naturally offered. Over the next several months I saw pieces of the collection move to the Raymond M.Blasco, M.D. Memorial Library and even read an article in the paper about him.
What I did not expect...at all...was to be presented with my very own Pardini original. In keeping with his fun, playful style and much like the first time I encountered this art- I happened upon it. I was walking the Karl Boyes Multipurpose Trail at Presque Isle State Park with a friend, when something out of the ordinary caught my eye. THIS very piece was sitting on a park bench.
Thank you Mr. Pardini!immediately recognized the style but had no idea why it was there...unescorted. How could this be? Was it stolen from the library and discarded anonymously during a sudden bout of thief's remorse? Was it forgotten during a lunch date on that frosty bench? Was I being pranked or tested? Whatever the case, I was not about to let this work of art sit out in the elements, which I suppose is funny since that's where it originated. I looked around to see if anyone might have just stepped away for a moment with the intent of coming back for it. No one fit the bill. In a split decision, I snatched it up and kept on down the path, talking my friend's ear off about my fascination with these creations. It's a signed piece- this was special! I was determined to find it's rightful home. I even considered a book I had read titled UNthink, by Erik Wahl, a graffiti artist/motivational speaker. In each town he visits he hides an original piece of his art and leaves clues for it to be found as in a scavenger hunt. Could I be that lucky?
Days passed before I worked up the nerve to bashfully approach a librarian at Lincoln library to ask if she'd heard of a piece of the Pardini collection gone missing. She laughed and conspiratorially leaned forward to reassure me, "That's what he does. He'll randomly leave a piece of his work near an area he collects material as a thank you. It's for the finder to keep."
I was dumbstruck in a sudden tumble of appreciation, relief, and inspiration. "HOW FUN IS THAT!?!," I thought. What a cool way to pay it forward. My family was elated that I would not be a suspect for thievery (whew! ha ha)...and that we were, in fact, the proud owners of a Brian Pardini original! It's rightful home was mine and I was thrilled!
Therefore, a very heart-felt and official THANK YOU, Mr. Brian Pardini, for the inspiration to see beyond what the eye sees and for the gift of spontaneity and generosity. Your art and your spirit are themselves, a true gift to this world.
Brace yourself for inspiration as you check out more of Brian's work here:
**Make sure to read Brian's "STATEMENT" on the left hand column of his site...Intriguing!
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