Margaret Dorothy Shelton’s Mountain Range and River (1973) is a luminous watercolour depicting a broad alpine valley defined by layered mountain forms and a calm, reflective body of water. Cool violets, indigo blues, and muted greys shape the distant peaks, where patches of lingering snow articulate ridge lines without heavy contour. The mountains descend into warmer passages of earth tones and soft greens, suggesting late summer or early autumn light.

In the foreground, Shelton uses fluid washes and open paper to convey the stillness of water and shoreline, allowing reflections to dissolve gently into the surface. Dark, vertical accents of spruce and pine punctuate the composition, providing scale and anchoring the expansive landscape. The sky is rendered with a pale, airy wash that enhances the sense of distance and atmosphere.

The work exemplifies Shelton’s direct, observational approach to nature, favouring clarity of structure and restraint over drama. Her economical brushwork and controlled colour harmonies create a quiet, balanced scene that reflects her deep familiarity with the western Canadian landscape and her strength as a watercolourist.