Occasionally I like to use text as a motif, layering it until it merges to become an illegible scrawl. By losing it's identity as a communication device, the text dwells limbo between writing and scribbling. In the case of this painting, Canadian poet Annie Campbell Huestis' poem by the same name served as my inspiration. This experimental piece began with a watercolor underpainting and pastel ground, followed by an application of metallic gold acrylic in the area around what I think of as the bridge. Layers of fluorescent and iridescent pastel in the sky give the impression of mist just after sunset. The first line of the poem, "The will-o-the-wisp is out on the marsh," is repeated with multiple layers of pastel in both stick and pencil form to complete image.