Art Description (What inspired you to create the artwork?) Staring into the depths of Valens Lake I was drawn to thinking about the primordial soup from whence all life emerged millions of years ago. Something about the swirling blackness of the shallows of the lakeshore seems eternal, and like it may contain secrets which humans will never see. The contrast between the dark shadows and the vibrance of the weeds reflects the ongoing tension between life, death, and the passage of time.