What drew me to paint this image was the beauty and vibrancy of this elaborately pattered tunic and the girl within it. I also loved all the busy clutter of the café and how the color popped against the black. As I studied the shelves, I noticed these were all products of global trade, the Italian sodas, the Latin American and African coffees, the Scottish scones, the Asian teas, and the Asian (or Eurasian?) inspired textile, and they spoke to me of a modern Silk Road.