I entered the aisle for fabric paints and saw a puzzled woman with silk shoes in her hand. I turned to the next aisle, paused, and came back to the woman.
“What are you thinking about? You obviously are searching for a solution.” Her face questioned me. I piped up, “I am a textile artist. Your face and your shoes intrigue me.”
She quickly told her situation: mother of the groom. dress and shoes not quite the same tone. She decided, “I should just give you my shoes.”
I talked her through options that she could do herself. Distress began to register on her beautiful face. I fumbled through my purse and pulled out my business card. “This is who I am. Give me your shoes. Let me help you.”
I added shading and dimension with 5 metallic paints, a few stencils, and several brushes. I practiced on some bits of silk before I started on her shoes. The “little bit more” solution was a good choice as the shoes took on a more complementary tone to the dress fabric.
We met at the local pub for the shoe delivery. We chatted over a beer about the northern Midwest and military family life, points of commonality. She left to pack for the wedding. I departed to get back to larger scale projects. But I was pleased to have helped with the golden slippers.