When I first drove across country to Los Angeles over ten years ago, my first glimpse of the Pacific ocean was looking west down Pico Blvd. Clear blue skies mirrored in rolling waves. Everything seemed brighter, warmer, healthier, and even happier. I was inspired by the beaches, and would make collages on old business cards. Back then, the ocean was huge; the defining feature of the city.  Urban life and traffic congestion has left me weary, and I admit I hardly notice the ocean now, even though I live just blocks from the sandy shore.

When I leave this place one day, I will look back at these little pieces of art and again remember what it felt like to see the Pacific ocean for the first time.