I met this girl in New Mexico. She was from Cape Cod. When I got to know her I realized we would have to go to Cape Cod for her to model. She had a boyfriend and was trying to decide whether or not to marry him, whether she was ready for children, or whether she wanted to stay on her own. These thoughts became the premise for the painting.

In the composition, the perspective of the beach and shoreline fading back gave me the opportunity to show what she was thinking. There is a couple, a parent and a child, and a solitary person in the distant fog. This painting taught me a great way to guide the viewer's eyes to the meanings and thoughts behind the subject. Titles are also a very valuable tool for me.--Steve Hanks