This original painting by Alberta artist Steve R. Mitts titled Suonare—Italian for “to play”—explores the balance between devotion and joy. The flute, simple in form yet capable of tender, heart-melting tones, symbolizes this duality.

At the center, a young woman plays with quiet focus, a faint smile revealing serene, radiant contentment in the moment. Mitts combines contempory 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. Measures 18 1/2 x 22 x 1 7/8 inches deep.