There's a stillness that falls around one during the painting process. I don't mean simply as a result of working alone, but it occurs after quietly observing a subject that is being painted for an extended period of time. A dynamic balance, an equilibrium comes into being between the work and the artist. I have moments of this in each painting I do, but some works seem to embody this feeling throughout the whole process. My recent painting "Flores del Sol" is one such work. The symmetrical petals of the flowers and their varying shades of yellows and subtle oranges, the nuances of the light and shadow among the leaves...it became meditative to try to capture them with my brush and pigment. The intricacies of the ginger jar at first appeared daunting and then became a pleasure to create something so beautiful. The swirling patterns of my imagined tablecloth were a natural response as to how I should complete the composition.  And throughout, a stillness, a welcome antidote to these momentous times.