Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night, c. 1889.

I love this painting because I'm a stargazer and love to watch the night sky. Van Gogh's painting captures the essence of the magical quality of the night sky, its colors and light of the stars and moon, as well as the light from the town below.

Paul Cézanne, Montagne Sainte-Victoire, c. 1887.

In the Spring of 2006, I attended a Cézanne exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Cézanne in Provence. I came away with a real appreciation for his artwork, especially these paintings of his family home in the province of Aix where he spent the last years of his life. Cézanne painted his beloved mountain many times, some more colorful than this one, but I think the reason I like this one best is because of the tree in the foreground. It acts as a frame for the mountain in the background, almost like looking from a window. I can almost smell the scent of pine in the air.

Flor Garduňo, Canasta de Luz (Basket of Light), c. 1989.

I fell in love with this painting when I first saw it. I love the juxtaposition between the light and shadow. The basket of lilies is ablaze with light, which contrasts with the half-moon effect of the light on the young girl's face.