When your toughest art critic is a cat with opinions about mountains, you know you're in for an interesting day in the studio. Living on the edge of urban and rural life gives me a unique perspective; one day I'm painting cityscapes, the next I'm capturing the gentle roll of farmland that stretches just beyond our neighborhood. These solo painting trips are my form of meditation. It's just me, my easel, and the landscape—no phone notifications, no deadlines, just the quiet conversation between artist and nature, while my cat casts judgmental glances at my canvases.