SHEENA CHAKERES: Original Work and An Artist's Statement

SHEENA CHAKERES | AN ARTIST’S STATEMENT

“The Light Above”

On this dry trail in the middle of the desert, I am following the path of water. Every curve is the meandering of a river long gone. These walls, shaped by time, have a story, and I’m drawn to look up to the light and imagine when and how it started.

“The Little Castle” (this issue’s cover image)

It’s a trail I’ve walked a hundred times in every season, often with just a day pack and sometimes with a sleeping bag. The Winsor always seems to have some breath of fairy magic, especially in the morning: Tendrils of verdant moss. Dew sparkling in the early light. Whispering trees that watch over this precious place. On this day, a beautiful fog had settled in the mountains. On our way to Lake Katherine, this Castilleja, Spanish for “little castle,” stretched upward as if awakening from a beauty sleep. She was extraordinarily vibrant against the muted greens. Courageous. Hopeful.