From show judge Stephanie Zeiler: The technical aspects of this painting are exquisite and masterful. You can feel every stroke of the brush transformed into realistic textures of the feathers. The choice of pose of the heron and the slight angle to the body helps create interest in a slight energy as if the bird could move at any moment. It embodies the elegance and spirit of a heron as it sits and waits. The graded blue background pulls the piece together further adding to the quiet energy of the heron.