Leaving a coffee shop in New Orleans’ Garden District, I looked up to see a house I’d seen many times, this time from a different angle, and was struck by the composition. Noticing how the tree opened up to expose the details of the porch through something of a porthole, I knew immediately that I needed to paint the scene.

I had no idea how I would approach the leaves and branches, but a variation on existing themes served well in conveying highlights and shadows with only a few key colors. In contrast, the house is rendered in subtle off-whites and cool grays, like an apparition glowing faintly behind the radiant life of the tree branches.