The artist writes, “I often see gatherings of magpies while out looking for places to paint. As they frolic, they activate the landscape with graphic marks across the sky. Like me, they love the river. I watch as they claim their place among the clouds and canyons. As I paint, it’s easy to add them to my compositions as they belong to the landscape and always bring it to life. I’ve seen them spar with hawks and crows, make a racket in the cottonwoods, and at other times simply enjoy the silence with me as they fly just above the horizon, gliding gracefully against the wind.”