Hawaiian Punch

Our master bedroom had to be repainted last year after the new bathroom was built, and we made a bold and daring color change, from pale green to pale taupe. Benjamin Moore calls it Cedar Key, but I like to say it's the color of despair. It's actually a pleasant hue - grown up, even sophisticated, debatably - just not very colorful.

Shortly thereafter, a tragic misjudgment left me with a big blank wall facing my bed. A big blank wall the color of despair. Not only am I a delicate soul with a highly attuned aesthetic sensibility, I spend a lot more time in bed than most people. What to do?

One of my prized possessions is a diminutive New Zealand mountainscape by my old friend Leila. (She's the one who designed the Jackals logo.) The little painting has been much admired by visitors, and after migrating around the Holler for a while, it found a permanent home next to my bed, where its verdant splash lifts my spirits every day. So I wrote Leila to ask what else she had.

She offered several, all of which I liked. Many of her paintings are inspired by her travels, and the one that spoke to me the most was a landscape from Kauai. Unfortunately, it was another wee work. So Leila, ever amenable, offered to try recreating it on a larger scale. You can see what you think, she said. No pressure.

We tore the package open as soon as it arrived and were instantly smitten. The picture draws you in, inviting exploration. Months later, I'm still noticing new aspects.

I'll never set foot in Hawaii or New Zealand, but I visit them every day.


Like it? You can see more of Leila's work here.

Thanks to Mom for funding the "vacation."