Liujia Qiao, Xianning, Hubei, China

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China, November 1, 2023

Liujia Bridge (Qiao), about 20 miles west of Xianning, Hubei

As I sat along the banks of this ancient waterway, I was overwhelmed by the significance of the moment. The autumn afternoon was warm in the sunshine, cool in the shade, yet oddly quiet with summer insects gone. I was a guest in China, with one foot in centuries past and the other foot inching toward the future. I knew I would never be in this moment again. As an artist, I was being challenged to capture the passage of this timeless stream of life. So, with pencil and paper in hand, I began sketching the humble scene before my eyes.

Returning home, I took brush and paint to merge memory with reality, to once again—or perhaps forever—sit in the shadow of Liujia Qiao.