Trail of Wonder

30" x 40" | Oil on Canvas

Sometimes the moments that stay with us aren't the ones we were walking toward.

Trail of Wonder is about noticing what happens along the way, the unexpected view, the light through the trees, the person walking beside us, or the small discovery that makes us stop. The destination matters, but it is only part of the journey.

Artwork Story

The trail to Nevada Fall in Yosemite has a spectacular destination. But when I think about hiking there, I don't only remember the waterfall. I remember stopping.

The view changes as you walk. Sunlight moves through the trees. Rocks, plants, bugs, and little side paths catch your attention. Sometimes you turn around and discover an entirely different view of the place you just walked through. That's why I wanted a child on this trail.

Children are good at noticing things adults have learned to walk past. A rock can be worth stopping for. A bug becomes something everyone needs to come see. And when they discover something, they want to share it with whoever is walking beside them.

As adults, it's easy to see those moments as distractions. We have somewhere to get to. Something to finish. A goal waiting for us.

But I've started to wonder how many of the things we call distractions are actually parts of the journey we'll wish we had noticed more. The walk with a friend we almost didn't take. The conversation we rushed through. The ordinary afternoon we didn't know wouldn't happen quite that way again.

The waterfall still matters. Keep walking toward it. Just don't miss everything along the way.

We don't always know which moments will matter until they're gone.