Every painting has a story. This painting is just now going up for sale. I took a photo of this man and dog sitting just inside the orchid garden at the Naples Botanical Gardens. Since Hurricane Ian, this bench has been moved. It is still in the orchid garden… they moved my bench! This painting has been on my painting board for a couple of years. Work has been slow because of the detail and the time needed to work out issues. The dog, being black, was a challenge. When I painted the eyes so the whites showed, he looked strange. After looking at photos of black dogs, I learned the whites of their eyes barely show, if at all. I started with a very detailed drawing, knowing much of it would just be erased. I still liked the lines guiding me on what to work on next. In some areas, the drawing was refined. In other areas, detail was only suggested. I am not afraid of green and have several in my palette. In nature, greens are varied and layered. There is no producing just the right green, so I paint each in several areas and add another. Layering cool and warm greens seems natural to me. This man resting in the morning did not know I was there. He seemed deep in thought. The dog did notice me but did not give my presence away. The garden is so beautiful; I could imagine he was enjoying the quiet time. Good for the soul.