"The Secret Garden" is a reference to Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel about personal growth through the discovery of a new environment. The gate is a universal symbol that marks the entry-point between two realms. Our heroine looks back at us with both hesitancy and hope as she prepares herself to enter the mysterious new realm. This work illustrates the feelings we encounter as we prepare ourselves to face change, unsure of how we will find ourselves transformed when we "pass through the gate." I conceptualize Summer as a transitory period. It is the lull between the laborious seasons of Spring and Fall. Work and school are off, so the focus is on revitalizing our minds and creating personal progress. I choose to use a summer environment for The Secret Garden to bring to mind the feelings of “passing through”, to reinforce the theme of being between two more solid “places”. In literature and in art, summer historically represents the prime of a character’s life, or the climax of a character arc. As much as it is transitory, Summer is also fertile ground for growth. This reinforces the core theme of The Secret Garden (both the novel and my artwork), that stepping outside what we already know can spark a transformation of self.