My painting Haven is on a 30”x40” canvas with acrylic paint. At the top, there is a blue heron in flight and at the bottom, there is a woman underwater looking back at the viewer surrounded by a swirl of freshwater fish. Haven was inspired by my connection to nature, and more specifically, the pond in my backyard. This is my favorite piece in my portfolio, and although the skill level is outdated, the emotions I was able to capture radiates through me whenever I view the piece. It is more than just acrylic on canvas, but rather a snapshot of my passions and emotions. I have spent countless days sitting on the banks of a pond in my backyard using the leaves of the trees that lay above me as a shelter from the world. I looked out over the pond’s dark surface dotted with algae and lilies, and imagined myself -- safe and protected under the waters of that murky pool -- in total serenity and out of touch with the fast-paced world above. In that water, it is another realm -- a world of silence twirling in slow motion. A haven from the modern world. This pond, along with the ancient trees leaning over its edges and the wildlife around it, has become a second home to me when my material home offers only torment. Throughout my childhood, the woods were a constant place of refuge and during my junior year of high school, I picked up the habit once again. I spent almost every day on the banks of that pond or wandering through the woods that border it. It was the first full year of remote learning due to the pandemic which forced me into isolation and solitude -- trapped in an unwelcoming house for weeks on end. The trees hold so much of my history that I felt comforted when I walked underneath them. But immediately when I went back inside, this feeling of peace and clarity vanished as I was confronted with reality. I desperately wanted to bring the emotions of being outdoors inside but this fervor was indescribable. This conflict pushed me to express myself through my art instead, prompting me to create the painting Haven. I painted my favorite place in the world, so naturally, the representation of that place is my favorite work as well. I was able to bring the calmness that I feel so intensely when I am outside inside so that whenever I need it I can look at the painting and become enveloped with peace. This is what I truly love about this painting.