Water is an elemental force in much of artist Steve Hanks’ work whether it be ocean-based landscapes, or figures in lakes, rivers, and yes, even bathwater. We are, after all, largely made from water. Its movement and fluidity reflect and inspire our lives. Hanks paintings of children offer beautiful surface stories layered with potent meaning. He stays connected to both the loneliness and the magic of childhood. Time of Wonder conveys the unknown possibilities in the future of a single young life as he faces the seemingly infinite ocean. “What I like most about this painting is the way the overcast, misty sky affects the light and colors, like the clarity of the waves breaking behind the boy and the fog sitting on the mountains in the background,” says the artist. “It’s a very solitary, magical place and this youngster is not standing still in this vast landscape. He’s moving forward.”