"I got up every day thinking the sun was out there shining, and it could just as well shine on me as any other human person." - Demon Copperhead
One aspect of the story of the Packhorse Librarians that hits me so hard is their story of hope. With life's odds stacked against them and every reason to give up, they dedicated themselves to providing a resource every person should have a right to -- knowledge. Against the backdrop of poverty and hardship, a woman, atop a white horse (a rather unexpected superhero), navigates treacherous terrain to bring reading materials to her impoverished community. There is also so much hope in the belief that each book had the potential to bring light, comfort, and a chance for a better existence in even the most desperate of situations. I purposely painted this scene with the sunlight shining down against the gray mountains and dilapidated home to visually symbolize this idea.