Jana Swec is a marvelous artist, painter and muralist. At a recent opening, I overheard her talk about her love affair with Payne’s Grey.

PAYNE’S GREY
                   (for Jana)

She fell in love with Payne’s Grey
For a whole year
Because it wasn’t grey
It was twilight and bruises and forest shadows
She coaxed each of those shades
Into her paintings
Lacing them around
Lemon and rose and gold
She said
Every time she painted with Payne’s Grey
She felt like she was falling into
The deepest crevice of the world
And what she found wasn’t
one dark color
It was many
And each of them asked for light.

©Lindsey Lane