While visiting a small village in the south of France, I found myself exploring a small garden, beautifully green, shaded and serene. Coming across this statue in all its pale silence caused me to sit awhile in its presence, and I soon slipped into a frame of mind that was void of language, but rich in awareness. A small European robin explored the garden nearby, and it became intertwined with the statue in my lingering impressions long after my return home; so much so that I was compelled to paint them as they are seen here. There is a thinly veiled narrative expressed in the bird's posture and the “maiden's” demeanor, something mysterious and secretive... a private moment that they seem to share. — MD