Sonia's works were just starting to be recognized in the Soho galleries. She was preparing for a show in lower Manhattan. She didn't like the terms but she knew she would comply.

"Blue," the pinched-mouthed owner had said. "Turqoise, aquamarine, teal. That is what my clients are seeking this time of year. Something for the summer home on the Cape."

The man had even had the audacity to suggest she either add some blue into one of her paintings or repaint one just like it in blue.