This piece represents the culmination of a body of work I’ve been creating and working towards over the past two years. I began designing and photographing small still life scenes in my living room window when my day job as a floral designer came to an abrupt stop in March of 2020. What began as a way to connect and provide an escape during that period of relative isolation has evolved into a collection of work that blurs the lines between painting, photography, and installation. This piece serves as a window into a tropical, far-off world I’ve dreamt into existence. It’s a world that is beautiful, if not slightly ominous: the monstera vines growing over the foreground, the cactus pears ripped apart. It’s a glimpse into a place that exists just outside the bounds of our reality, created from elements all around us. Inspired by the tradition of the Dutch Masters, it is my attempt to capture something fleeting, a scene in its own process of decay.