Like air and water, heaven and earth, these pictures are a duality. The sea gulls flew over my head at Carlsbad Beach, and I painted the canvas in 2011. The following year, my son Neil shared a photo he'd taken of Koi in Japan. Opposite shores of the Pacific Ocean.

The sea gulls are currently hung on the ceiling above a staircase in our home. When someone walks up the steps, I tell them to, "Look up!" The koi is sometimes displayed floating in our swimming pool.