To add words to Marissa Bridge’s 36 images of one orchid going through a bloom cycle is a weekly mystery that unfolds only when I sit at the computer and stare at the current painting.  Yesterday I was away, had the tiny image on my phone, but no words came to  mind.  This practice simply cannot be done on the fly.

Home again, #6 looks like a dancer performing joy and trepidation.  And by staring simultaneously at the image and the blank page, I discovered the obvious: this process is similar to a blooming flower’s.  To produce takes time, certain conditions, patience, and commitment.  Nothing less will do.