Lingering Dusk

Since I first picked up a brush, I have been attracted to the simplicity and purity of life as it was once lived by America’s native people. Even before I discovered that one of my lifelong themes would be the pleasures of the simple life, I celebrated those delights in a series of paintings featuring the Indian tribes with majestic mountains bathed in the dramatic light of sunset, humble homes nestled in a tranquil natural setting. They’re all here in Lingering Dusk.

For me, Lingering Dusk is an evocation of the ultimate coziness of life lived within the intimate circle of the tepee. Imagine a world so devoid of frills, so self-contained, that a family’s possessions could be packed up and moved at will. And yet, those same well-chosen good provided security and comfort even in the solitude of winter.

This is the life that God truly meant for His people. That is why I’ve made the campfire, which offers a measure of warmth to the two natives, a modest reflection of the glorious radiance of the illuminated mountainside and its sunset. As light literally pours down from Heaven to illuminate the mountain peaks and to fire their reflections in the clear stream with glory, it embraces the modest Indian camp and surely reflects God’s plan for His people as well. With this painting, I wanted to portray the harmony of man and nature such as is rarely seen in our busy world.