Some evenings, the Gulf decides to put on a show, and this was one of those performances. The water shifted into deep mauve tones, the sky followed suit, and then—right on cue—the sun dropped toward the horizon in a blaze of molten orange. The clouds around it lit up like glowing embers, which is how this scene earned its name. It’s the kind of sunset that makes you stop whatever you’re doing and just stare, partly in awe and partly wondering if the sky is trying to outdo itself again. I soaked it in, took the picture, and later painted it exactly as it felt: warm, brilliant, and unmistakably Gulf Coast.