Sanctuary is about that quiet place we find, sometimes physically and sometimes within ourselves, where everything softens. I painted this egret standing alone at the edge of the water, surrounded by oversized leaves and that hazy peach light, almost as if the entire landscape is holding still around him. There is solitude here, but it doesn’t feel lonely. It feels protected.
 
I wanted the painting to carry the feeling of retreating from the noise and finding a place where you can simply be. The bird is luminous against all that deep green, calm and watchful, while the last light moves across the water. For me, Sanctuary is about peace, refuge, and the beauty of having a place, or a moment, that belongs entirely to you.
 
In person, the soft peach sky against the saturated greens gives the piece a warm glow. It feels serene from across the room, but the closer you get, the more the small reflections and layers begin to reveal themselves.