I’m honored that this painting recently received Best of Show at the American Impressionist Society National Show.

The subject is my son enjoying a slice of watermelon on a summer day. What first drew me to the scene was the play between warm and cool light—the warmth moving across his skin set against cooler notes of reflected light—and the strong silhouette of his form against the brightly lit background.

But beyond the light and color, I wanted to capture something fleeting: an ordinary childhood moment that, with time, becomes anything but ordinary. A summer afternoon, a slice of watermelon, and my son caught for a moment between light and shadow.

Sometimes the simplest moments become the ones we most want to remember.