The Columbia River Gorge divides Oregon and Washington, but in many ways it also unites them as both states share this special place.  When I talk with those I meet on my hiking and photography trips in the area, people (myself included) often forget which state they are in on any given day.  It's nice to find us less concerned with artificial boundaries and more a group of people that sees this unique area as our home with a regional character that brings us together.  

The river and its gorge act as a conduit to bring air and weather between the ocean on the west and the deserts of the east, sometimes in violent and unexpected ways.  On some days the river is blasted by howling winds, on others it may appear smooth as glass.  Most of the time there is some wind, so calm days are special ones that seem to enhance the area's beauty.  That was the case in the early evening when, returning from a trip, I noticed the reflections of clouds and light bathed everything in sight with shades of blue and magenta.  

My goal was to create a print with a feeling of depth and vastness that pulls the viewer in and makes one wonder if touching it might cause ripples to appear.  Briefly that afternoon, the photographer's art and Nature's art were bound together as the water became a jubilant canvas for the sky's beauty.  The loss of a distinction between my art and what Nature created is something I discovered later when making the print.  I consider such moments to be a gift. 

The picture's title comes from the small blade of grass poised on the water in the foreground.  It looks like a pen signing a magnificent painting of light, land, and water that is the Columbia Gorge.