I spent the day at home with my dogs nearby, moving between coffee, paint, and the familiar quiet of the studio. By the end of the afternoon, three small paintings had appeared: a bull, a dancer, and an astronaut.

The bull came first, all weight and blue motion. The dancer followed with softer lines, and the astronaut felt like a little surprise, floating into the day from somewhere else entirely.

Those are the best studio days โ€” the ones where you don't decide too much ahead of time, and the work arrives like weather. The dogs don't care what I paint, which is exactly the right kind of company.