One of my favorite places to hike is the Saltese Uplands Conservation Area. It’s a hill with wide open views of sunny hillsides, hawthorn and golden grass. A glance to the south takes your eye up into the forested mountains. This painting is inspired by a summer evening, the shadows growing long and everything a bit golden in the setting sun.
Andrew Saltese (spelled Seltice in Idaho) was one of the last Coeur d’Alene chiefs in the area and lived below these hills. The former Saltese Lake, drained but now a wetland under restoration by the county, stretches out at the base of the hills.
Fine art prints of this painting are for sale. They are 9×12, the same size as the original, generously mounted and matted to 16×20.