Usually, before I go to bed, I go to my studio and paint a little. The house is quiet, and it has become part of my bedtime ritual.

I was chatting online with my friend Lisa, and told her I was going to paint. I asked her for some colors. She listed her favorites, and I told her it would not be a representational piece, but asked her what I should think about while I’m painting. She said “Lisa’s happiness.”

When I create these abstracts, I try to be random, and rarely include anything intentionally. I paint on 11″ x 14″ watercolor sheets, but when I’m done, I quarter them to 5.5″ x 7″. There is just too much information in the whole sheet, and cutting it down further randomizes the composition.

They’re quick. She was still online when I came back upstairs. I showed her the images, and she picked her favorite. I see Lisa smiling, with one of her chickens on her head. It reminds me of a recent day when we played in her yard taking photos together. Another looks like her favorite beach where we bulldozed rocks with our hands, and I took videos of the waves rolling in.

I’ve said this before, but I don’t understand how these stories come out in paint and pencils without any intention at all.