Red Truck by an Autumn Barn

The old red Chevy parked at a slight angle in front of a leaning red barn, a maple tree dropping crimson leaves over both of them, distant blue mountains hazing into the background. A piece that knows exactly what it is — straight-down-the-middle Americana, no irony.

The two reds aren't the same red. The truck is a glossy fire-engine red with chrome bumpers and white-walled tires; the barn is a weathered, sun-faded oxblood that's halfway to brown. Getting that distinction right is most of the challenge. Everything else — the golden field grass, the autumn maple, the dusty tan road — sits comfortably in warm earth tones.