I think I was in third grade when, in art class, I was tasked with recreating a masterpiece as a clay tile. I chose a Monet lush with wisteria. Purple, you see, was my favorite color. And I took seriously my namesake of Maya the Bee. I remember feeling very confident about the work (my weekends at home were filled with polymer clay). I have a clear memory of sculpting the wisteria flowers along the edges of the tile. I’m not sure whether I took creative liberties in the replication or if I held true to the source image. But, I do know, I was more than pleased to with the result.

My swamp is no Giverny, at least not yet. But, this study reminds me of that tile. Chunky greens over a mashed purple sky.