Dillon Reservoir - Colored Pencil Drawing

"Dillon Reservoir" Colored Pencil

It’s a dreary, November day at Dillon Reservoir in Summit County, Colorado. Observed from an astonishing overlook, the watery encompassment is hit with a precursor to the volatile winter weather that defines this elevated area.

As temperatures continue to plummet, the passing storm fills the air with pellets of frozen moisture. On land, the foothills feature broken terrain expressed with indistinct outlines erased by the murky atmosphere.

The dark foreground of brush and foliage is enlivened by an inconspicuous grove of orange aspen. Stretched across the textured sheet of paper, the water is steel-blue, taking on the tone of the turbulent sky.

The thin strips of shoreline are jigsawed carefully into the dense forest. Also, horizontal passages of infinite shades of green are succeeded by a string of gray mountains whose contours fade into the distance.

Where the sun’s rays are allowed to touch the earth, patches of vermillion warm the low-key landscape. Those shafts of surreal light stream through the imperial heavens and conclude the composition by highlighting the innocent, white peak.

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