"The Visitor" was created in 2024 on a 40" x 30" stretched canvas using acrylic paint. This piece depicts a woman lying in bed in the early morning, with a cardinal perched on her chest. This painting began purely for fun, a playful spin on a Disney Princess-type woman surrounded by woodland creatures. However, it became infinitely more special to me as I painted it. I sent my mom in-progress pictures and asked for her thoughts. The cardinal immediately stood out to her, and she shared the old tale that when you see a cardinal, it is a loved one visiting you from the afterlife. This led to a deep conversation about my grandmother and the bittersweet feeling my mom experienced when she saw a cardinal—missing her while also feeling loved and believing she was watching over her. My mom was suddenly killed less than one month later, and cardinals have since become a profound symbol to me of her enduring love and how our relationship deepened over the years.