Evolve Through Love

As mentioned in my previous post (Gifts, not Works, of Art),  I very quickly realized while decorating my new apartment that I had outgrown a handful of my painting-collages. One was created as recent as Christmas and a couple were as old as 2010. They had backstories and emotions that no longer reflect the person I am now, and I did not want them casting any unnecessary shadows on this bright new chapter.

Yet they are lovely pieces that served my heart and my journey well, and instead of throwing them in the trash or trying to sell them I wanted to gift them away. I hand-wrote and attached a personal love letter about each piece to its new owner and placed them strategically around Savannah. If you know me well, then you know strategy = gut instinct. One was left on the back patio of  my favorite ‘coffee’ shop, two more were placed under trees a couple blocks from my favorite park, and the last couple in two of the downtown squares. One of my best friends was in town from California this weekend and we had initially intended to take part in the monthly art walk downtown on Saturday. Buuuuuut like much of the rest of the weekend, our intended plans were not the right ones and instead, we allowed ourselves to be driven around town by our intuition creating our own art walk ... CC Bella’s Evolve Through Love.

I will not reveal the each letter in its entirety since it now belongs to someone else, but I do want to pay tribute to each piece and share the essence of the gift. Each letter did begin the same; "Dear friend, if you are the new owner of ______ then it has spoken to you and chosen you for a reason." And signed each, "Evolve through love sweet stranger, CC Bella."

"Have Heart"

“I write love letters to myself and notes in class to the Universe asking it to check Yes or No if I’m on the right path.”
"...Maybe you need to take heart or have heart that you are on the right path. Maybe said path is about to present itself to you. Either way, you're doing great!"

*Left on the back patio of the

Maté Factor.

"Paper Aeroplane (Parts 1 & 2)"

“ The world’s prose, my world at least, is written in longhand (may it long live).

An honest request for letter’s return;  

those born of love, convictions and queries.

My sincere request is for honesty and intimacy.

Tomorrow’s insight, often untimely and jesting,

keeps our minds busy enough with guessing.

So write to me words I’ll treasure...

loosely veiled emotions - not cryptic tones

for my decoder ring has long since retired.”

*Left along Park Ave

 "Strange Weed"

“ I am the poem,

I am the song; out of tune…

I am a strange weed.”

"...I am a wild and wonderful and strange weed and that only makes a garden that much more beautiful. My quote unquote strangeness IS my charm. So is yours!"

*Left in Chippewa Square

"Flying Rumi"

“The first time I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere, they’re in each other all along.”

“Long ago, God drew a circle in the sand around the exact spot where you are standing right now. You were never not coming here. This was never not going to happen.” -Rumi

"...I made this initially as a prayer to the Universe… to bring me this kind of love.

While the journey did not go as I had intended, envisioned or anticipated, it DID deliver… in more beautiful ways than one."

*Left in Troup Square ... and FOUND!

               This public art show and (more or less anonymous) gifting was more profound and emotional than I ever expected. It is one of my most favorite things I have ever done. This actually may be my new thing... create art and gift it away. The last painting that was left was Flying Rumi. This was the hardest one to part with and without a doubt, the most necessary. This one was created in hope and took me on a journey of magic and disappointment and loss and revelation and finally REWARD ... like, pot of gold at the end of the rainbow kind of reward. My whole heart was tied into this piece ... and this is the only one that I know for sure was found and truly claimed. I was notified through a #CCBella tweet on Twitter that it called out to a lovely young local married couple passing through the square.
The fervent appropriateness of this is .... just ... well.... it is simply and also overwhelmingly perfect. And when I received the notification I was standing in a kitchen oozing of love and fun with two of my favorite people. I had to physically put my hand over my heart I was so moved and grateful.
It would be awesome to hear from the others, but I have not attachment to that. Hearing from that couple is one of the most treasured gifts of my life as an artist.

And so I say to you, readers and friends.... Evolve through LOVE!