This work started life as colored pencil art on bristol board (heavy lightly-textured paper). Unfortunately, after being scanned, the original was lost—which is mostly why it’s now listed as a digital image.

I like to use the edge of images in less than conventional ways when it makes sense to. Here, the woman (based on actor/model Julie McCullough) is contentedly leaning on the edge of the frame, drinking in the sunset-bathed landscape. What doesn’t come across so well in this incarnation is that she’s holding a rather large and thick book. Now, whether the book is the gift, or whether something else is I leave as a creative exercise for the viewer.

Oh, btw, Ms McCullough was very nice in the note she wrote about this work. (I say this for information, not to imply an endorsement.)