The Rope Ladder, oil on canvas, 12 x 9 in, 2014.

This painting features one of my favorite swimming holes on the Kaweah River. To get here, you hike a few miles upstream, bushwhacking, rock hopping, and swimming your way up. To reach the rocks and subsequent falls above this waterfall, you have to use a rope to pull your way up the nearly vertical rock face. To get back down, it’s best to jump from the top of the waterfall into the deep pool below. One of my favorite things about this place, is recognizing how few people get to swim there. It’s an honor to visit this rope ladder and is one of the most sacred places on the planet for myself and the humble people who introduced me to this special place.