“Next to the Mound” is an original oil painting of Red Wing, MN and the Mississippi River. I painted this piece en plein air while standing next to a Native American burial mound at the Goodhue Historical Society in Red Wing, MN. This setting reminded me of the painting entitled, “Between the Mounds” that I did for Hudson Plein Air earlier this spring. That location, like this one, involved an overlook of the river from a vantage point high on a bluff. I find it interesting that the Native Americans chose similar burial sites. They went through the extra trouble of carrying their dead to the top of a bluff to bury them. And then additionally building a large conical mound to mark the spot. Being buried somewhere with a good view must have had a special significance to them. It is a wonderful spot where you want to spend time enjoying the view. “Next to the Mounds” shows how Red Wing looks now, with many buildings of the distinctive red brick, and the grain elevators near the Mississippi River.