“When the Sky Caught Fire”

Oil on canvas, 16”x 20”

This painting was inspired by a sunset I witnessed while walking in Red Mountain Park in Mesa, Arizona — a place I visited nearly every day when I lived nearby. That evening, the sky erupted in color, the clouds igniting in shades of crimson, gold, and violet. I painted it soon after, trying to capture not just the colors, but the feeling…that moment of awe when nature stops you in your tracks.

Arizona gifted me some of the most unforgettable sunsets I’ve ever witnessed — even after living in places like Hawaii, California, New York, and New Jersey. When clouds rolled in over the desert, it often meant something spectacular was about to unfold in the sky. Though I’ve since moved from Arizona to New York, those sunsets remain vivid in my memory — the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.