Through his more than two dozen recordings as a leader or chief collaborator, saxophonist John Gunther has aesthetically wandered far and wide, finding colors, textures and grooves that would spur the creations from his invariably interesting bandmates. For Painting the Dream, he looked to pianist Dawn Clement and drummer Dru Heller to help celebrate the memory of his colleague, trumpeter Ron Miles, whose music and ways particularly inspired many in the Denver music scene.

He also looks to his mother, Judy Gunther, who supplied the paintings that adorn the cover. Her gifted sense of color and balance affected her son throughout his childhood and undoubtedly influenced his compositions and textural choices, which along with Clement's added vocals and Gunther's use of woodwinds and electronics, evolved into a program ranging from intimate set pieces to sweeping landscapes.