Hiking the beautiful Soberanes Mountains north of Big Sur was breathtaking during this spring’s superbloom. The steep terrain, rising high above the ocean, was blanketed in yellow wildflowers and clumps of perennial lupine taller than me. The ridge opposite the trail had burned two years ago in the Soberanes Fire and was now a flower-gilded deep velvet green. Rebirthing this lush new growth again onto canvas, literally moved me to tears. For this painting, I used a thick impasto and long brushstrokes to translate the raw beauty and emotionality of this beautiful Earthly scene.