The search for gold brought many newcomers to the Pacific Northwest in the late nineteenth century. Whether on route to the Alaskan Klondike, the gold fields on tributaries of the upper Columbia River, or mines in north central and southern Idaho, prospectors came to our region with dreams of finding this precious element.

As a landscape painter in Washington state, I am also searching for gold. In 1991, I moved here from Riverside, California, a place where sunshine is abundant and summer days are bright and hot. Acclimating to the lower levels of light and colder temperature took some time and I find myself chasing golden light.