Sometimes one small thing can suddenly pull the whole world into focus.
“One Moment in Spring” grew out of a brisk morning walk with our dog, Flint, in the Central Texas woods near our home. Jim had an injury and couldn't accompany us that day, and it was too windy to take our parrot, Greystoke. So I was alone with the pup, but surrounded by big, showy drifts of bluebonnets, which is sort of an overwhelming experience that never grows old. Then, this single stem called a halt to the breakneck pace the dog was setting. A pristine stem of blue, it rose from a pocket of fern, grass, and forest tangle. It stood there catching shafts of sunlight shouldering their way through the dense trees—a pure, true-blue Texan, proudly holding its own.
Back home at our kitchen table, while that moment was still fresh in my mind, I started painting, then worked on this varnished watercolor over several days. I started with a mottled gouache underpainting, which gives the surface a subtle texture and just enough background chaos to build on. (Forest carpets are nothing if not chaotic.) Once that dried, I layered greens, golds, and blues, letting loose brushstrokes suggest fronds, grasses, and shifting light. Rather than spelling out every detail, I wanted to convey movement and energy in this microcosm of Texas woodland, but also that deep sense of “all’s right with the world” that sneaks up on you—even when we both know it isn’t, not really.
A single bluebonnet. A stand‑in for all of us who’ve ever felt alone and small in a big world. A rare color in nature, firmly rooted, quietly resilient. This is less a botanical study and more a microcosm of spring in Central Texas: the rustle of leaves, the slant of sunbeams through trees, the hush that falls when you finally stop and take a full breath and appreciate where and who you are.
Hang this piece where you need a visual exhale—a reading nook, bedroom, or an office corner that deserves some native Texas magic. You don’t have to stand in a big field of blue to feel reassured by nature. One determined stem is enough. You are enough.
Why You’ll Love This Piece
Brings a quiet, peaceful “deep breath” moment into your home or office
Celebrates Texas’s beloved bluebonnet in a more intimate, woodland setting-- where is that? people will ask
Suggestive, impressionistic details let your eye and heart complete the story—you’ll keep seeing new things over time as you and this complex painting grow together
Perfect for anyone who loves Texas wildflowers, woodland walks, and those small, grounding pauses in a stressful day
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