Susan Hertel's art embodies what is marvelous in the mundane experiences of life. In her paintings and poems Hertel pictures a state of mind that finds joy and serenity in daily rituals, in the simple pleasures of work, and in quiet moments. Her art centers on the people, creatures, and places she most intimately knew: her five children, a menagerie of animals -- horses, dogs, cats, goats -- and her ranches in Glendora, California, and Cerrillos, New Mexico. An essay by Mary Davis MacNaughton examines the major themes and stylistic development of Hertel's art, and discusses her intimate family subjects and emotional expression through color in the tradition of French painters Bonnard, Gauguin, and Matisse.