In a beautiful sequence of events, this artwork came to life. Torn book pages were adhered to painted fabric. The bird was sketched onto the surface (what is it...crow, thrush...?) quickly showing itself to be a red-winged blackbird. Ok. Stitching, defining, refining. Almost complete. Break. A trip to meet friends outdoors. An urban space. Concrete. And suddenly there it was - small, beautiful and almost tame. A passerine bird of the family Icteridae, a red-winged blackbird landed inches away from my feet, spent a moment or two looking around and then flew away. Beautiful. Peaceful. Mysterious. Created in layers of mixed media - painted fabric, book pages, stitch, embroidery and beading, this piece, titled Serendipity, is an example of art connecting with the everyday.