Children learn to deal with the unexpected through play. This little girl has just seen the wave that's about to break over her head as she trails wet sand and surf through her little fingers. I think the next expression on her face will be sheer delight instead of fear. For a toddler, this shallow breaker is a tsunami, but it shelters her even as it crests. This playful moment reminds us to live in the moment and catch the next big wave of excitement that flows toward us.

The textured surface of the board works with the supergranulated watercolor pigments I used to create this beach scene with its splashes of sunlight and packed sand. The expression of the child is the only still thing in the painting: You see the wave and know she will soon be laughing. I love to paint people, especially children frozen in a moment of comprehension and anticipation