THE BACKSTORY

A pale yellow umbrella rises at the center of The Protector, its simple geometric form commanding this large-scale canvas (86 × 86 inches) like a benevolent guardian. For Donna Morin, the umbrella represents more than shade—it symbolizes a joy that was impossible in her Michigan childhood: the simple pleasure of eating outside.

Growing up in the Midwest, outdoor dining was a rarity, something the climate rarely permitted. But after eight decades in Southern California, where the weather holds steady at a perfect 72 degrees and the sun bathes every patio and poolside table, the umbrella has become an icon of the life she built here. The Protector celebrates this distinctly Californian luxury—the ability to sit beneath a canopy of fabric and sky, protected from the warm sun while savoring meals in the open air.

The composition radiates with the color and light of outdoor living: periwinkle blues evoke endless sky, warm oranges and yellows suggest sun-drenched afternoons, fresh greens hint at garden views, and cool shadows ground the scene. Morin's geometric vocabulary—her beloved circles, squares, and overlapping planes—fragments the space into a cubist arrangement that recalls both Matisse's bold color relationships and the tabletop compositions she absorbed during her years at Geary's.

The umbrella's pole stands vertical and strong, a dark anchor amid the chromatic play. The work pulses with gratitude—for warmth, for wellness, for the everyday miracle of a climate that allows life to unfold outdoors. The Protector is an ode to shelter, to Southern California, and to the eighty years of sunshine that made al fresco living not just possible, but essential to Morin's sense of home.