The second painting of the Forest Guardian series. A Sage is described as one who is wise as a result of reflection and personal experience. Each bead and strand of jewelry represents a learning, an insight, a hard-earned understanding of the nature of existence. Toucans often fly across the sky outside my studio, set in the Central American rainforest. Unlike other birds that seem to soar for the pure joy of it, they seem to be weighed down by their huge bills to the point where they are barely able to stay aloft. Perhaps a warning that while learning and wisdom are of great value, a life spent solely in pursuit of acquiring knowledge can become unbalanced when not also including play and indulging in happy pleasures for their own sake. As with each image in this series, this one is also meant to reflect my own life journey. While I don’t profess to be in the sage category, I like to think that at my stage in this journey, I am fairly well equipped to see myself through to a joyful life – even in the face of uncertainty and challenges. So, this painting also serves as a reminder for myself to take pride in my own well-earned wisdom.