When the sun sets on the balmy nights of early summer, the forest comes alive. As the moon shines through the canopy of leaves, one by one, tiny lights begin to burn. The gradual culmination of these individual lives glowing in synchrony takes on the appearance of stars; as if the night sky itself has melded with the earth.  In “Firefly Forest,” I aimed to create a space as mystical as the creatures within it. The sinuous trees absorbing the moonlight are the backbone of the composition, framing the central light source. The thick foliage creates a sense of depth, guiding the viewer down to the ground, and up to the foreground. The pops of purple throughout the image create interest amid the dense greens and blues of the image. While the viewer is taking in this scene, they begin to notice the tiny dots of light speckled across the piece. The fireflies, hint at the life teeming among the greenery and serve to represent the magic of the forest.