Gold is so much more than a precious metal, something to be hoarded, stored away, and counted. This type of gold is one limited to a very few. It is because gold is so rare, we are told, that it is valuable.

But there is more to value than rarity, and indeed, those items and elements of true, intrinsic worth are frequently those we overlook because they are so "common" -- fresh air comes to mind, sunshine, blue skies, autumn leaves, and silence. These are gifts of the earth that are meant for all because they are so meaningful, and their value is increased, as opposed to diminished, when all have access to them.

The Value of True, Real Gold

True gold is a color glowing from the landscape as the sunlight dances through the leaves, brushes across the grass, and emanates from the sky above. Gold in this sense is available to all people around the world because it is a gift from God through nature. As recipients of this gift, we honor the giver by ensuring the skies stay clear, the air stays fresh, and the sunlight is not impeded in its journey from space to the land in which we live.

Like many gifts, the gold of nature frequently goes unopened because we are too busy to stop, look, wonder, reflect, and observe. But when we do take this time, we are rewarded by a glimpse of what light does to a landscape. In Gold Leaf, the original oil painting, a rural country landscape pulsates with golden glow, a glow that turns a meadow of grass and trees into a fantasy world, one magical in its appearance and allure.

Gold Leaf as Wall Art and Home Decor

Fine art belongs in all of our lives because it, like real gold, has an intrinsic value that celebrates beauty. In addition to the original oil painting, Gold Leaf is available as a print in many formats (framed, canvas, metal art, acrylic, wood, poster) at Steve Henderson Collections. Gold Leaf is also available as an image on products you use everyday -- coffee mugs, phone cases, tote bags, and even shower curtains and hoodies. Fine art takes the extraordinary in our lives and turns it into the extraordinary.

Click on the images below to learn more about the product and how you can add it to your life. All purchases from Steve Henderson Collections include a 30-day, money-back guarantee through Fine Art America. Products are shipped worldwide.

There's something special about a storm, whether it includes thunder and lighting, or just masses of rain and wind. We're not talking about a hurricane, which takes a weather storm to levels beyond enjoyable. No, what we're admiring is a country storm, complete with full, rich clouds, and that sense of silence occurring just before the first raindrops fall.

And why is the storm so special when it takes place in the country? Indeed, all rain storms possess that element of wild expectancy, that unleashing of nature which reminds us that we humans do not rule the earth, though some members of the race do their best to control the finances, food, and thoughts of others, and indeed, don't see control of weather as beyond their clever fingers, either.

The Beautiful Rural View

A storm in the country is especially beautiful because of all the space -- both visual and auditory -- in which to experience it. No buildings block our way. No car horns override the wind as it whips through tree leaves. From where we stand, we see the fullness of sky and all its clouds. Toward the mountains those clouds turn darker, and if we're patient, we may see a flash of lighting -- so fast that we question whether we saw it at all. A few seconds later, when the thunder rumbles, our ears confirm what our eyes saw.

It is a show of nature that awes and baffles us, a reminder that the world is a gloriously beautiful, and simultaneously dangerous, place. The grandest seat to watch a violent storm is from one's living room window, cup of tea in hand and sweater draped over one's shoulders. But it's just as grand -- though not as comfortable -- to be standing in a field watching, wondering, and waiting.

Tree in a Sunlit Field captures those moments of silence just before the weather breaks.