When the stay at home order went into effect, I decided that my time social distancing needed to be constructive and, if possible, positive. To that end, my dear friend Cathy Berse and I chose to challenge ourselves to thirty paintings in thirty days. Some paintings were completed indoors from photos, some painted outside of our homes, and some painted in isolated locations that were not off-limits. All of the paintings have a story! The painting presented here “Essential Dunes” was painted on day twenty-three of the quarantine in Florida. At the time, beaches were open for essential activity only. We were advised that painting was not an essential activity. Thankfully, I was able to paint from the closed drive-on ramp to capture this scene. Since then, I have spent a lot of time thinking about what is “essential”. My essentials include my family and friends as well as health, food, and shelter, and the means to provide them. It is also essential that I paint. Painting is what grounds me and also what allows me to soar. It is my way of sharing and communicating with all of you, especially in the days of social distancing and isolation. The environment is essential. The dunes are essential.