That moment. That tiny speck of time. The kind that passes almost before we realize we're in it, yet somehow stays with us forever.
The lotus has always felt like a beautiful metaphor for this life — born in mud, muck, and darkness, rising toward the light, and blooming for a brief moment into something extraordinary. Its life is fleeting, but while it is here, it offers its beauty to anyone willing to slow down and see it.
I worked on this piece while my cousin Paul was fighting for his life. I thought of him every day. I continued working on it after he passed, allowing my grief to move through the work in ways I couldn't always put into words. Art really is a curious kind of magic and alchemy. It gives us a place to leave the emotions we don't yet know how to speak.
I hope it honors those tiny, precious moments that become part of the fabric of our lives. The moments that seem so brief, yet somehow remain with us.
And most of all, I hope it honors Paul.
