This painting captures the view from a small shopping center across the street from where I lived in Mesa, Arizona. I’ve lived in many places—Kansas City, New Jersey, California, Hawaii—but nowhere has skies like Arizona. When the clouds roll in and the sun begins to set, the sky lights up in ways that stop you in your tracks. It feels like nature is putting on a show just for you.

This piece was inspired by one of those evenings. I wasn’t anywhere special, just a local parking lot, but the sky was unforgettable. I wanted to capture the feeling of standing still in that moment, with palm trees silhouetted against the fiery horizon and the glow of shop lights flickering on as day fades into night.

Arizona sunsets always felt like a little bit of magic at the end of the day.