I have lived my entire life, with the exception of a few trips, in and around Philadelphia where I was born December 10, 1982. The city, its character and people are with me wherever I go.

For three weeks in August 2006 I lived alone in Morris Graves’ studio on the Lake secluded by a redwood forest overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I experienced a prolonged solitude unlike the kind I find in Philadelphia where I have always alternated between my studio (the quiet place) and city (the loud place). What surprised me about the new kind of solitude was the fact that I never felt alone in the forest because its life and treasures were easy to love, recalling my childhood.

Since then I returned to Philadelphia and spawned a series of bird paintings from the insights gained during my retreat, which this book illustrates.