Short House

710 East 9th Street
Acrylic on canvas, 48" x 36"

This beautiful North Shore house features tidy trim and a lush well-manicured garden. It's the sort of garden that starts to explode like fireworks in the spring. The dogwood tree in front is in full bloom along with lilacs and daffodils while the spring sky swirls over the snow-capped mountains.

There are obvious touches that describe the owners, like the soccer ball out front and the buoyant blooms everywhere. There are also tiny details that aren't easily visible, such as two kids' mountain bikes, a trampoline, some bright running shoes, and a tiny, flitting hummingbird.

It's an active and playful place filled with motion and color, so there are a lot of rounded shapes and upward-pointing triangles: everything rolls and leaps and is urged to go higher. That's joy. You can see the smiles everywhere – in the trim, in the trees, and in every part of the lighthearted landscape that whistles far and wee.