It began in the garden. My old work boots were ready to be retired. Rather than throw them out I filled them with potting soil and planted an ornamental bulb. The bulb grew and blossomed.

In the summer my hands are blackened with the rich earth around my home. Paths of moss draw me in and around raised beds and secret niches. Speckled light plays off ferns and hostas. My days are spent in movement. Color and texture, water and woods, serenity and obsession.

In the winter my hands are covered with paint and paper. Moving watercolor with shades of green, chartreuse, burgundy and blue, I'm led deep into mysterious, textured, bold collages of fruits and florals, light and dark, where garden ornaments gain life and meaning. A path in two dimensions. A place to wander and wonder.

-Fordie Madeira