This original painting by Alberta artist Steve R. Mitts showes playful figures rendered with a simplified, timeless quality, standing and skating in contrast to the dark, skeletal trees and the atmospheric blue of the distant hills. The piece is encased in a deep-set frame of salvaged timber, where the natural knots and worn grain of the wood act as a physical extension of the landscape, transforming the painting into a relief sculpture.

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 9 1/4 x 8 x 1 inches deep.