This piece was inspired by my father, whose life and passion is flying. The first thought that occurred to me was a lone bird of prey, like a falcon, to symbolize his strength and focus. However, in my eyes he’s much bigger than that. I wanted this painting to reflect the sheer size of his place in the sky and in my heart, so I wanted to pick a larger bird with a stunning wingspan, and I arrived at a heron. I also liked that the heron has the word “hero” in its name. I wanted to give it the feeling of total eclipse, conquering the sky, and swallowing the sun.