Loveland Pass Lakes - Colored Pencil Drawing

"Loveland Pass Lakes" Colored Pencil

"Nothing is less real than realism. Details are confusing. It is only by selection, by elimination, by emphasis, that we get at the real meaning of things." ~ Georgia O'Keeffe

Situated above timberline, a pair of high mountain tarns are pure blue under a late-summer sun. Known as Loveland Pass Lakes, the shimmering jewels are set just below the Continental Divide.

Looming majestically in the background, a ring of rugged peaks encloses the isolated valley. Dark patches of far away forest cling to the steep mountainside and fade away as they reach ever higher.

The rolling hills of rough terrain around the reservoirs are covered with rows of pine that follow closely the contour of the land. The water is calm, clear and cold with the larger lake reflecting trees in its upper left corner.

Sweeping across the foreground, tundra grasses are ablaze in fiery colors. Conveying the sure sign that seasons are changing, an assortment of flushed vermillion hues are dragged across the textured surface.

Anchoring the right side of the page is a giant, gray rock that’s shaded with strong contrast. Balancing the composition on the other side is a thicket of brush and willows that come streaming in at an angle.

This drawing is not a rigidly faithful representation of the actual scene. It’s more an experiment that blends abstraction with realism, producing a work that emphasizes the primary forms of the mountain landscape.

Nonessential details have been removed in order to focus on the most important elements. The intense observation of nature results in a sensitivity to her dramatic scale and subtle nuances, culminating in a more real portrayal of this Colorado landscape.

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