July 3rd in The Florida Everglades is really hot. The play of light on the sawgrass during sunset on the Florida Everglades mesmerizes artists painting en Plein air. The constantly changing light is the genius loci of this place. The spirit of The Everglades is all about light and sound.

I escaped into the vast Everglades for therapy. A series of events changed my perception of more than half of my life. I had no home, no place of rest. Escaping into the rising and setting summer Florida sun introduced me to peace, the changing from one form to another. My love of painting portraits of people evolved into painting en Plein air.

I am grateful this painting lives with a wonderful person who wants to remember the beauty of living on the right side of this peninsula. Florida is so strange, with transplanted inhabitants from all over the US and the world. When you make the decision to move from the east side to the west side, you immerse yourself in an entirely different culture.

Two things remain constant. The Ocean and The Everglades.

July 3rd is a testament to light. Light is a testament to time and change. This small painting will be repainted in a very large format. All of my en Plein air work is a sketch of a new painting – a gift of time – catching the light.