Without the intervention of my friend, Elle, I have little doubt that this piece would have ended up as another expression in ink and watercolor. It was only at her behest that I decided to leave this piece as it was, allowing the ink to breathe on its own. One of the reasons why I continue to do art is the opportunity it has to bring Beauty into people’s lives, often grabbing them unawares.

Such was the case with this piece, at least from the perspective of my friend. While she proved instrumental (along with my friend Liz) in encouraging me to explore my artwork, I had never seen her get totally taken by one of my pieces before this one. She seemed completely smitten with the tiny little details of linework that populate this piece — similar to the “little boy” or “little girl” smiles that I have seen exuding from others when they receive one of my commissions.

So I did the only thing that I could — which is to say nothing. I decided to leave this piece as ink only, letting the small details breath and speak for themselves as they sit on a background of light.