Life in the desert has opened up a world of memories for me. The smell of desert brush after the rain, the sound of desert birds, the clear sky and and contrasting desert hills are all reminders of family summer vacations to the river in Arizona. Roadrunners have always fascinated me. They look like little dinosaurs, with an intelligence in their eyes that seem to be analyzing me as much as I do them. This painting is from a photo by Jesse James Dinkel, used with his permission in an attempt to capture that gaze.