And then there are the flowers — my endless fascination and joy. I am completely captivated by their delicate petals, the subtle shifts of shadow and light across their surfaces, and the intricate textures that reveal themselves the longer you look. Painting flowers allows me to slow down and truly observe — the curl of an edge, the transparency of a petal, the architecture hidden inside a bloom. I’m equally enchanted by the small lives they sustain: the bees, the beetles, the quiet, determined critters that build their livelihoods among the blossoms. In watercolor, flowers feel alive — luminous, layered, and full of quiet complexity — and I never tire of trying to capture their fleeting beauty.