In Siena I watched the Contrade march into the Piazza del Campo, each one carrying a creature as its identity, its blood, its centuries of rivalry. I never forgot what that felt like. This page is why.

When I was living in Umbria I would drive through medieval hill towns and just stop. Not because I planned to. Because the architecture demanded it. This is the city that grew out of that feeling.

Fifteen years ago I was standing inside the Palio in Siena, surrounded by thousands of Italians whose rivalries go back centuries, feeling something so ancient and alive it was almost too much to hold. I didn't have words for it. So I started drawing. This is what came out.

A teacher, a professor, a mentor. Someone with authority who looked at you and made a decision about what you were capable of before you ever had the chance to prove it.

When they announced that I had been selected for the Society of Illustrators national student competition, a classmate turned around, looked at me, and said you're so lucky.

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