My latest series of paintings, titled Life on the sidelines, captures the world of youth soccer from the viewpoint of a seasoned soccer mom. The main subject matter of these 6-foot-long watercolor paintings is parents standing on the sidelines watching a kids’ soccer game. There are no players, no ball in the picture—the athletic game is unfolding somewhere else, just off the edge of the picture plane. “There are only near-strangers standing in a row—just like last weekend, just like the one ahead” (Jen Graves). I view these paintings as screenshots taken from the grand movie of life. While the backdrop stays the same, slight variations in imagery suggest the passing of time from moment to moment. Images share the same formalist structure: straight lines painted on athletic fields contrast with organic forms of the Pacific Northwest’s natural landscapes, accenting subtle human interactions.