Looking out from the window of an art gallery in Pittsburgh, I noticed an elderly man pushing a cart, apparently filled with his belongings. Even from a distance I could see that, while he was obviously down on his luck, there was a composure and dignity about him that was compelling. Acting on impulse, I decided to walk across the street and introduce myself. In his eyes during the brief conversation we had, he seemed to communicate that “Yes, I may be down but I won’t be down forever.” There was hope in his face and his presence. He didn’t look like he had been defeated.  The bright afternoon sunlight seemed to enhance the intense hopefulness in his eyes. Then I began to think of this experience from the perspective of an artist – how I would try to capture the reality – the uniqueness - of that moment. I loved the dramatic light on his face. I wanted to capture the aura of hope around him and do justice to that moment.