An iPhone snap of a work in progress — a triplet set of antique oil lanterns.

I love the built-in symbolism of the lanterns. One has “beacon” written right on it. They’re sources of light. I was chatting with my brother as I was painting this and talked about them being a set of three. I told him how when I was in art school I’d pin down the significance of the set of three. I’d find examples of threes in history, cultural references to threes. These are the parts I now like to leave out. I prefer people who might buy the paintings to be the ones to fill in the blanks, to attach their own interpretations, their own versions and stories.