“The Azalea Caretaker” reflects a quiet ritual of attention at spring’s edge. A single figure bends toward a bank of azaleas, hands and gaze tuned to small necessities—pinching spent blooms, clearing leaves, coaxing color forward. In this moment of tending, care becomes both subject and gesture.

I painted the scene with loose, expressive strokes to privilege sensation over strict detail. Soft pinks of the azaleas play against fresh greens and cool shadows, while notes of warm light thread through foliage and across the figure’s back. Edges are allowed to breathe and blur, suggesting the way morning air softens boundaries between person, plant, and place.