What is more beautiful than leaves turning color in the fall? And what more poignant message than how fleeting our time on earth to see them? The Japanese maple tree in my garden had lost almost all of its leaves when I decided to begin this painting, so every leaf became a treasure and every minute of painting time, precious. I worked on sized rice paper with fine brushes, which allowed me to render every detail of this delicate subject very precisely and lay down wash upon wash to create nuances of light-infused color. Every day I went out into the garden looking for just the right leaf to “pose” for me. One day I was lucky enough to find the winged seed pod that rarely hangs on beyond summer, but there it was, and so I put a pair of them in the painting, a promise of renewed life.