That I know an artist is not unusual. Portland abounds in incredible artists. But that this artist feels like my little sister, that I have never seen her, and that she lives in New Zealand does feel a little unusual.
Jane Puckey is my dear friend, and if ever I am an artist in some sort of parallel universe, I want to paint as she does, with an eye for whimsical detail and a sense of beauty that lifts my heart. I will let her art speak for her. The "Colour of Paua" is only one of many paintings displayed on Jane's new website, which makes the Pacific no wider than a keystroke.

For those of you who do not speak the native language of New Zealand, which is Kiwi, colour is color in America, and is pronounced, "Yesterday I went downtown and had a strawberry milkshake." I might have made some of that up.
