“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” —Margaret Mead

This was from the first photograph taken of the earth, taken by scientist astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, who was on the Apollo 17 crew on their way to complete NASA’s final mission to the moon.

My painting was in a show called Friends & Family, at Shaheen Modern and Contemporary Gallery in Cleveland, one of the early “chapters” of My American Dream. I placed it between the Jackie and JFK paintings included in this section. I was inspired by the first Al Gore documentary An Inconvenient Truth that also included it, thinking about a world without borders, and a planet that we all desperately need to take care of…

Of course, this is true now more than ever when America’s vote will truly decide the fate of our planet, and it seems on the brink of destruction by man’s hubris. If only Al Gore had become president as he should have, there may have been more time for us to pull out of the global tragedy of global warming, only time and fate will tell, and the willingness of governments and their people to bring us to a safe, green, beautiful, and bountiful planet.