For years, my husband's parents left their home on Main street in a small town in Indiana and spent the winters in a condo on the ocean shoreline of Hilton Head Island. I shot this image one morning as my husband and I were walking in the sand together. Our backs were at this view but for some reason I turned around and saw this. It took my breath away. I only shot a few frames but I remember distinctly feeling grateful that I had turned and looked back.

As a avid genealogist, I have found great joy in researching my husband's ancestry. Looking back into their lives and, for a moment being transported back in time, has added a powerful and glorious dimension to my life. As I painted this, I wanted to capture the feeling of what it is like to temporarily leave modern life and look back.