This whimsical little piece is about homecoming when all external signifiers - people and places - we typically call “home” are either gone, or - for some - never really existed at all. A snail carries its home wherever it goes, as a part of itself. Since my own parents passed away, and there is no “home” to return to, I have been learning to find it inside myself. Home is where the heart is. You do not need to mourn it. You do not need to search for it. You do not need to visit it. It is with you always because it is a part of you, the way the snail shell is a part of the snail. The memories that made “home” feel full, and made you feel loved, are with you still. Home is not the structure but the feeling it gives you inside, and that feeling, that Spirit of Place can be accessed anytime and anywhere… I need never again feel orphaned, homeless, or rootless. I AM home. Home is inside of me. And more, I have come to understand, it always was. So venture forth and explore your world, knowing you are your own safest harbor.

Available as original watercolor, painted to order, or as fine art print, both 5 x 7. Prints (but not original inks) can also be had in 8 x 10. All come matted and ready for framing by the customer.