–mARcH pLZ.–

Local Rodeo- Morgan, Tx.

San Antonio, Tex.

Arboretum -Dallas, Tx.

Burning Man -New Rock City, Nev.

Gulf Port Beach- Mississippi

This day the beach offered more than just a fresh breeze.

From a quarter-mile down the shoreline, I saw them: a kaleidoscopic cloud dancing against the blue sky. As I walked closer, I realized it wasn’t a flock of exotic birds, but a massive cluster of kites. Dozens of them—box kites, parafoils, and classic diamonds—slipped and soared through the air in perfect, chaotic harmony.

At the center of this aerial symphony stood a lone woman. Fascinated by the sheer technical skill required to keep so many threads from tangling, I approached. “This is incredible,” I said, calling out over the sound of the surf. “How do you keep them all up there?”

The woman turned, a warm, practiced smile crinkling the corners of her eyes. It was a look that belonged to someone who had answered this exact question a hundred times before. “Well,” the woman began, her voice carrying a rhythmic ease. “My husband and I live right there.” She pointed her thumb toward a charming, weathered stilt house nestled in the dunes. “One day, we got into a massive, petty argument about something I can’t even remember now. He threw his hands up in the air and yelled, ‘Oh, go fly a kite!’“

The woman chuckled, a sudden shift in the wind took her toward one of her anchored kites. Looking back toward me she finished her sentence. “So, I decided to do exactly that.”

I laughed, captivated by the woman’s literal embrace of a sour moment. As I watched the vibrant colors make their way toward the clouds, a profound sense of joy washed over me. The sheer absurdity of turning a dismissive insult into a breathtaking display of mastery was beautiful.

That night, back in my travel trailer, I couldn’t shake the image of the kites or the infectious happiness they brought her. I knew exactly what I wanted to paint. Inspired by the stranger’s joyful defiance, I decided to title the piece High as a Kite.

Instead of the typical connotations of the phrase, my painting contained a vibrant display of color . I painted a man anchored to the earth but elevated by a massive amount of twine and kites, capturing the exact feeling of rising far above life’s petty arguments and finding your own sky.