I’m thrilled with this painting of the Skagit Valley. I painted the Missouri River Valley for the first thirty years of my career, and this broad floodplain with rows of alders and poplars resonates with me on a deep, symbolic level. In those river bottoms I could always get a deep vista with blue river hills in the distance, dramatic skies and a line of enigmatic cottonwoods to paint.In this painting I let myself go with heavy application of pigment and color. I like the contrast between delicately painted branches and soft foliage with the slabs of sunset colors in the sky. Also this painting depicts a shoulder season—it could be autumn fading into winter or winter burgeoning into spring. Groves of alder trees with soft pinkish crowns and maroon tinted willows echo the colors of the blueberry bushes in the foreground. And these beloved Lombardy poplars provide a lattice work that accentuates the pastel sunset hues.