24″x18″ pastel on sanded paper

Today I brought the beach to Baylor Hospital in Dallas. The best magic trick I know is making a scene appear from a blank sheet of paper and bits of colored chalk. It was wonderful to share that process with doctors and nurses, patients, and their caregivers. I set up in a wonderfully busy atrium in the heart of the Sammons Cancer center. There is a small stage with lights and an easel. Then…I just made art. People could just walk by, or stop and talk as their schedule and curiosity allowed them. The beach has a universal appeal. My painting reminded many people of trips they had taken to the beach and many shared their stories: a honeymoon to Hawaii, a trip to Mexico in college, family reunions in Florida, and two little girls told me all about their adventures camping on Padre Island. Some people found reason to come back over and over to watch the painting’s progress.

I love that today my daily painting touched so many lives, and for a moment, people could imagine (or remember) a sweet time at the beach instead of their chemo or their busy day at work.