Four riders in wide-brimmed hats lead their horses single file through a shallow creek, a small spotted dog trotting alongside. A golden autumn cottonwood frames the left edge, and layered red-rock mesas and hazy blue ridges fade into the distance under a dusty sage sky and a soft apricot sun.

The scene is painted in thick palette-knife oil, with creamy sculpted clouds, dabbed foliage and a fine cracked-plaster surface in the sky. Warm ochre, burnt sienna and cactus green settle into a calm, nostalgic Southwestern stillness, the water holding soft reflections of the passing horses.