"Red Shrub"

One of the treasures of Great Falls, Montana is the walking trail and bike path down by the

Missouri River. It stretches for miles along the river, and every inch has it's own story. Pelicans, geese, ducks, swallows and the occasional bald eagle share the river with beavers, rabbits and

deer. As twilight approaches, antelope make their way down the slopes on the far side of the river.

The seasonal changes are reflected in the foliage and shrubbery along the banks and overhanging cliffs bordering the river. On a typical fall day I was astonished by the coloring of a small shrub. Surely it couldn't possibly be that bright! And why were the trees in the distance so yellow? The sky itself was an unbelievable shade of blue. The fall colors seemed positively tropical. "Red Shrub." oil on canvas, 2004, 72" x 48" is a tribute to a small shrub with a tropical

tendencies near the River's Edge Trail by the Missouri River.