This original painting by Alberta artist Steve R. Mitts titled "A Summers Eve" shows the quiet pleasure in drifting on the water, the gentle rocking of the boat, the soft rhythm of ripples against its side. When a small group of ducks glides near, the moment becomes something rarer. They move alongside you, leaving delicate wakes across the surface, untroubled and at ease.

For a brief time, you share their world. It is a simple, peaceful exchange with nature — one not everyone has had the pleasure to experience.

Mitts combines contemporary structure with 16th Century Renaissance influences. Using a meticulous layering of acrylic washes and gels, he achieves a textured, stained glass finish. This piece is created on 100-year-old reclaimed grain bin wood, making the material as much a part of the story as the painting itself. Subtle vignettes, paintings within a painting, breathe quietly together in gentle harmony. Measures 8 x 8 x 1 inches deep.