Every painting I make starts with something from the garden. This time it was a simple white Magnolia blossom that called out to be immortalized. I began with a light, neutral palette, but the painting had other plans and demanded a more vibrant voice. I didn’t set out for it to go this abstract. My job was to just hold the brushes and let the painting decide, and it kept moving further from the flower I started with. What remains is a precious, glowing center, with a few breakthrough areas of blue hinting at the galaxy beyond. It became about protecting that center while reaching outward for balance, blending the personal and immediate with something closer to eternity. Like so many of my paintings, this one moved well past the vision I had started with, guided by its own will more than mine.