I enjoy painting water because I love being by big lakes, streams, rivers, ponds and marshlands, and because I spend much time near water I observe water closely, it becomes second nature to paint.

I was once asked why I chose to depict the two young swans with their backs to the viewer. I chose to draw that view because it is 100% natural. Swans in a pond do not remain in a profile position or in a front view position. The swans are constantly changing positions, and more often than not if a human approaches, they swim away with their backs toward the viewer as I have depicted them. I also chose the back view because it related to the message that I wrote to correspond with this painting: "This year may you have the courage to swim toward your dreams!" I saw the swans as swimming independently together toward their dreams.

The title was based on the puppet animation film "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Hermey the elf had a line in the film after he and young Rudolph had run away from home: "What do you say we both be independent together?" I loved that sentence as well as the film and incorporated it to fit my painting.