Far beyond America’s great cities, beyond the suburbs and the super highways, the majesty of America’s verdant countryside is still alive and well. In the country, wildflowers grow in profusion. To me, these bluebonnets, scotch broom and wild poppies symbolize the abundant blessings of Country Living; these are the tangible pleasures that surround you day in and day out where the air is pure and the sun is bright. This scene might be found any place where the hills and valleys are alive with nature’s harmony — the Texas hill country, the Smoky Mountains, the rolling Cascades, or even my native Sierra foothills.

Country Living takes us to a perfect day for celebrating nature’s goodness. The white-tailed deer and ring-necked pheasant remind us of the region’s abundant wildlife. A vintage Ford truck, inspired by the battered pick-up that was my family’s transportation growing up, stands silently beside the rustic farmhouse and the ever-present barn. This painting is for all those who long for Country Living.

-- Thomas Kinkade