It was during one of my exhibitions in Den Haag, Netherlands, that a visitor came up to me to ask if I would be willing to exchange one of my batiks for a pottery kiln. This was an unexpected question and I think that I must have looked absolutely baffled. So he hastened to explain: He and his wife had just moved house. He had been a ceramic artist for many years but there was not enough room in the new house for his kiln, so he had decided to retire and to get rid of it. Now, at my exhibition, he and his wife had seen just what they wanted, a batik painting that they would really like to have in the new home. But moving house had been expensive, and the batik cost more than they could afford at that moment. The idea of an artistic exchange kiln/batik had suddenly come up in his mind, and he had mentioned it on the spur of the moment. He added that he did, of course, understand that this was a 'ridiculous proposal,' so he asked me to forget he had mentioned it. I, in turn, explained that my obvious surprise at the offer was caused by my long-standing wish to have a kiln and my surprise at his wonderful idea. So the deal was made and the kiln arrived at my home.
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