Every April I begin looking for my crocus and snowdrops to tell me that winter is really, finally going to depart. It is always such a delight to see the colorful crocus bloom. These blossoms, with their beautiful stripes, reminded me of heralds decked out in all their splendor proclaiming winter to be over. My work is very time consuming and I generally allow each work to dictate its own needs and time limit. Now and then I force myself to do a "fast" painting. Hardly fast by many artists' standards but certainly fast for me. Such a project forces me to rely upon my skills and instincts and brings new strengths to my work when I resume my normal pace. Heralds of Sping was a "fast" painting in which I particularly wanted to capture the lighting - that amazing lighting!