A fire at the feet of a sycamore tree in a winter field in Clarke County, Virginia under the setting sun.

This painting is my fantasy of hope, a vision of America as a deeply rooted tree that grows in healthy soil. Healthy ecosystems depend on fire to get rid of dead limbs and other debris. It’s time to make a new normal where All Americans enjoy equal freedoms and opportunities. May this new normal emerge like this painting and take root in all of our hearts and minds.