This truly beautiful painting captures the essence of the concept of starting anew. Sitting on a porch overlooking the Pacific, a new day arises around an obviously introspective woman. Oceans, in Hank’s visual storytelling, are vast expanses and in comparison we are very small. When one of his paintings occurs near the sea, the subjects are often contemplating a significant passage in their lives. She sits amid an array of plants and flowers still in their plastic containers ready to be planted in fertile soil. Hanks’ message is there are times when you have to just start replanting, create a new beginning and grow from there.

The most compelling part of the painting is the woman herself. Her head is down, reflecting on her life and trying to understand it. Even though it is a great big, beautiful world, she still has to find herself before she can find her place in it. She carries an introspective solitude that prompts the viewer to think about his or her own life path. Women occupy a special niche in Hanks’ sensitivity. They express more storytelling ability and he captures a certain magic in them others miss.

All art is an escape to somewhere you want to be or a feeling you want to have. "Where the Healing Begins" is one of those special paintings that deliver something unique to each viewer, depending on their respective backgrounds and perspectives.