Stanley Iwanski stands with one of his watercolor paintings at his home in Elmcroft of Saxonburg on Thursday, March 19, 2009. Butler Eagle File Photo

When Stanley Iwanski moved from his home in Natrona, he gave little thought to the original watercolor images he abandoned under his bed.

But the images eventually found their way to Elmcroft Assisted Living and Memory Care center, where Iwanski, 88, lived in 2009.

The 25 watercolors were up for silent auction April 2, 2009, in the Elmcroft lobby on Bella Court, to help benefit the Associated Artists of Butler County.

Iwanski was reunited with the artwork after his brother stumbled upon it while cleaning out the house, which Iwanski vacated the previous year to relocate to Elmcroft.

“They brought this whole box and said ‘What do want to do with it?’ I said ‘I don’t care what you do with them,’” Iwanski said.

Paul Scanlon, president of the artists group, said the auction comes at a good time, since the recent past has shown a decline in grants and donations.

“At the end of last year we went to an all-volunteer basis instead of having paid staff,” he said, noting the change has helped the group regain financial stability.