Oil, 60" x 20," $1900. In my neighbor Karen's yard are these delicate trees that turn brilliant pink-orange in the fall. I was attracted to them for a few years until I got around to painting them. I tried to express the opulence and confusion of the forest in the rest of the piece.

Oil, 46" x 36," $2700. On the way to Anza Borrego we stayed in the Walmart parking lot in Bakersfield. In the morning the truck had a flat tire and Karl walked to the auto parts store in the other corner of the lot to get a patch kit. The tamale vendor came by and I bought some for breakfast. Our campsite in Anza Borrego was beautiful and free, a turnout off a dirt road. I showered outdoors and it felt amazing to be clean in the arid environment. The crisp distances and repetitive rhythmic designs of this tall plant fascinated me and I took several years to complete this painting. It felt magical to me from the beginning and I did not want to mess it up.