After my husband and I climbed the steps of the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona, we followed a path to a small park with an overlook area. I noticed two young ladies mesmerized by the setting sun near the barrier wall. Their body language radiated warmth, comfort, and a sense of community. It wasn’t a clear sunset—cloudy and gloomy yet vibrant and magnetic. They seemed to be watching the end of a chapter with appreciation and awe. This moment traveled with me throughout our trip and my return home.

A year and a half later, while cleaning my studio, I found a sheet of Canson Colorline paper in Orchid, initially intended to be my first still-life drawing. Inspired, I decided it was time for this memory to materialize instead. Armed with Prismacolor Premier and Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils, I began drawing without a detailed sketch or grid. This approach led to many eraser shavings and moments of self-chastising for not mapping out proportions, but I pressed on, eager to dive into the heart of the drawing. Plus, this has become my way.

Once the pencil marks were complete, I was transported back to that scene, feeling the same hope, acceptance, and comfort as I watched one day end, knowing a new one would soon begin. I hope you, too, are struck with an overwhelming sensation of your own.