Rachel Smith Maher ~ Artist and Poet

I began this painting with my eyes closed.  Brush in hand, blank canvas before me, the first few strokes of blue paint went on without the guidance of sight.   The concept flowed from my spirit, through my brain, to my heart and out past my fingers holding the brush and onto the canvas.  I knew I wanted to capture the delicate edge of a butterfly wing.  I knew I wanted to use blue paint.  Beyond that, this painting simply emerged, one brushstroke at a time. The butterfly wings give an element of uplift and perspective.  While the hydrangeas were being formed, I felt a supernatural kind of connection to creativity itself.  When the falling petals in the lower right corner showed up, I began to think upon the legacy we leave when we leave this earth.  Then I felt the spirit of Cassidy Charette with me as I completed this piece...as it transformed from the message I had hoped to communicate to Cass's message:  Leave a legacy of Light. Taken from her friends and family at such a tender