Morning Alley
		This painting was done in Phoenix, as a warm-up exercise, a few days before I got to Tucson and started the Landscape Lottery. The alley, which runs behind the house of friends I stay with in central Phoenix, is a peaceful place to watch shadows and listen to birds in the morning. The combined sense of privacy - no one goes there except garbage trucks once a week - and openness makes it a fine spot for sitting and reflecting.