There's a particular kind of moment in painting where you've been working on a piece for months and you can't quite make it land — and then in about 45 minutes, you finish something that's taken months to resolve.

Fox & Lilies was exactly that moment.

She's a continuation of some themes around lilies I've been working on. I'm not done with them yet — the series has been quietly building in the studio over this year, each piece its own conversation between an animal subject and the formal, almost sacred language of lilies.

One of my favorite things about being a painter is recognizing that breakthrough when it happens. You step back and something has resolved itself that you couldn't force into place earlier. It's part trust, part time, part muscle memory in the brush.

She's full of hope here. And resilient.

About the Piece

Fox & Lilies is 48 inches square, painted in oil on a wood panel with a 2.25-inch gold-leafed edge. Like all of my originals, she's built up in about 30 layers — graphite drawing on the wood first, then oil paint, washes, glazes, and metal-leaf worked in over weeks.

The gold-leafed edge means she's ready to hang as-is, no framing needed.

Original. One of a kind.

Fox & Lilies is currently available — see her in the current collection.