What I know about a dove's behavior and form comes from touching and observing them. The use of the dove as a metaphor for addressing contemporary issues relates directly to this “hands on”, experience with them. There is nothing original in using a beautiful, graceful dove as a symbol of life and peace. But combined with the current political emphasis on borders and fences, I see many unique possibilities for using the dove as a compositional focal point. It is comforting to think about solutions to border issues being based on understanding and mutual respect – whether in the Middle East or between neighboring ranches separated by decaying wooden fence posts in the fields of the American West.