This is Christopher Martin Hoff's 2011 painting Butterfly, oil on linen, 18 by 96 inches. It's pretty great. Recognize Hillcrest Market in the background there on the right? You know this alley. The artist gives you two views of it, one looking down it, one up it.

There's a show of his works at Linda Hodges Gallery at the moment. It doesn't include Butterfly (that painting will be included in the larger upcoming Bumbershoot exhibition of Hoff's works), but this current exhibition does include several exquisite unfinished works Hoff was making when he died. He had set himself up indoors, alongside the workers, at the Decorative Metal Arts building on Marginal Way. They'd go about their work, and he'd go about his, and they'd take breaks together. Here is a detail from one of his views of the DMA warehouse.

There's a memorial for Hoff, who died suddenly at age 36 this spring, at the gallery at 3 on Sunday.