Impression Evergreen

Fall color on Rabbit Ears Pass I've been helping out with my 11 year old son's soccer team for six years now and it's been a lot of fun. Soccer is a great sport because it's a player's game. Once the whistle blows the action is non-stop with little or no interference from the coaches. The players are free to make their own decisions concerning positioning and ball movement. As the boys have grown older, my duties have evolved from tying shoes and wiping noses to shagging balls and picking up cones. Sometimes at practice, if the numbers aren't right, I have to jump into a drill and if I'm lucky I might even get to play in a scrimmage. I think the boys accept me like a teammate, I know I've grown very attached to them. We recently traveled up over Rabbit Ears Pass and down into Steamboat for a league game. It was a tough first half as our team constructed some good buildups and took great shots, they just couldn't finish. There were near misses, ...

"Canada Goose" Colored Pencil A Canada Goose bathes in the warm sunshine of an early spring day. Its reflection shimmers across the surface of chilly, Evergreen Lake. During the cold winter, the lake becomes literally an ice skating rink. When this happens the geese leave searching for a milder climate. They're not gone for long, though, because they are easily tempted back to even the smallest pool of open water. These elegant birds are delighted to swim about and graze on the local vegetation. A long, sleek, black neck and a black head with a white chinstrap distinguish the Canada Goose. The body plumage is colored with rosy beige and golden ochres. Because these large waterbirds are so common, I think their beauty sometimes goes unnoticed. The goose is loyal to family and will fiercely defend its territory. If threatened they are well equipped to handle the situation. The Canada's powerful wings are capable of delivering a blow of surprising force. Rarely ...

"Bergen Peak Summer" Colored Pencil On a warm summer day in Evergreen, Elk Meadow is dry and yellow. Weathered farm structures contrast with the fresh wildflowers. Bergen Peak provides a dark, green-violet background as low clouds drift across the shimmering, blue sky. At 9,200 feet, Bergen Peak is an Evergreen landmark. People don't describe this mountain as awe-inspiring but the views from the top are. Bergen doesn't attain the same status as a fourteener and some even dismiss it as just another gentle foothill. I've learned not to underestimate Bergen Peak because it can be quite defiant. The easy accessibility and excellent trail system make this park an Evergreen hot spot. In the summer, the trails are filled with hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers and horseback riders. The resilient mountain takes a beating from the heavy usage but if you're not careful it will bite back. I've gotten very sick from racing to the summit and I've taken...

Full Moon over Epcot It was a normal day, up early, off to work, pickup kids from school, soccer practice and supper. But that night was different, my wife announced those five famous words "We're going to Disney World." Wait...what? I know what you're thinking, so was I. How cliche, a family of four on the obligatory pilgrimage to the Mecca of amusement parks. What about snorkeling with penguins in Antarctica or that photography workshop in the Galapagos or studying the Old Masters at the grande museums in Europe? Not Disney World, the symbol for everything that goes against what I believe in. As a humble artist living in the Colorado mountains, I cherish simplicity, peace, morality and spiritualism. Disney World is about complication, confrontation, decadence and materialism. I'm a sensitive soul searching for answers to life's great mysteries, not a seasoned tourist on a frenzied quest for fun. Try and explain that to my two boys who were dancing hys...

"Stellars Jay" Colored Pencil Perched in a conifer forest at 8,200 feet, a solitary Stellar's Jay contemplates its familiar surroundings. Unassuming and reticent near home, this intelligent bird takes on a much different public persona. When on the search for food it reveals itself by squawking boisterously. Now bold and confident, the Stellar's Jay will bully the smaller birds away from its favorite feeding areas. This bird can become one of the forest's more raucous, year-round residents. When hiking, I've often found myself on the receiving  end of an unprovoked scolding. A striking appearance reflects the Stellar's Jay's obnoxious behavior. Its blue plumage is accented by dark bars of color, creating an interesting pattern on its wings and tail. A large, unkempt crest of feathers adorns the bird's head. From this distinct crest a beautiful gradient of dark Indigo Black blends down through the head and chest into the True Blue coloring of...