I am blessed and privileged to have been able to paint in the Brandywine valley and at nearby coastlines for the past 10 years. I prefer to paint outdoors whenever possible; the paintings submitted for this competition were all completed en plein air over the past year. Participating in Plein Air Brandywine Valley and other local plein air competitions has been a joy. Painting for me is a way of mirroring in some small way the beauty of nature, which points back to God, and thus is a form of praise.