Almost Summer is inspired by my love of nature and the way I experience summer—as a time of vitality, ease, and light-heartedness. The colours I chose in this painting hold that feeling for me—yellow, blue, and soft peach. They are layered intuitively through spontaneous applications and removals of paint, while the black and white lines introduce a sense of structure. I painted this piece before summer had arrived, but I could feel it coming and I was longing for that full shift to happen. The sweeping white gesture, like a fleeting wing or something in motion, suggests that sense of transition and freedom, while I used gold leaf to signify a moment of stillness and vibrancy, like sunlight caught on a surface.