The painted ceramic picture Emily had bought that morning was exquisite. Around 24 inches square of glazed and brightly coloured pottery, it depicted the high street of the village where she lived, with its picturesque timber-framed houses.
She had found the ceramic in her local art gallery, and bought it using a chunk of the commission she had made from her own artwork – sold by the same gallery over the past month.
‘This isn’t the way to earn a living as an artist – by giving some of my income straight back to the gallery,’ she had admonished herself. ‘Oh well. I had to have it, and I am due a reasonably large cheque for illustrating that children’s book.’
When she had asked at the gallery who the artist was, they’d told her the person wanted to remain anonymous.
‘Intriguing,’ Emily had thought, wondering if more ceramic pictures from the same artist would appear in the gallery.
Emily knew exactly what her next art project was going to be
