“When I began this series of children with large, ferocious animals,” says Emily McPhie, “I had intended it to be about the purity of imagination, about how children have such freedom in their dreams while adults are tied to reality and familiar things. Of course, I couldn’t attain that simple perfection—the paintings ended up as a metaphor for the troubles and realities of life, which can turn and bite your head off at any moment. But even with the knowledge of this fact, we can be content and find peace like these little girls. We’re not afraid of the lion; we’ll still remember what to buy at the grocery store.”