Impression Evergreen

"Dark Self-Portrait" Colored Pencil Composed in a somber shadow of murkiness, the resulting work is a dark self-portrait. A sliver of illumination creates a streak of highlights that defines the firm structure of an antique face. The side sunk in deep shadow is described by a limited palette of gold, orange and dark brown. Soft shading is employed to graduate from one tone to another evoking an aura of still calm. The understated mood and stingy color scheme is inspired by the work of the masters of old. Another experiment in line, form, color and chiaroscuro and less a study in the psychology of the sitter. Thin, wavy hair tops a high forehead that has been wrinkled by time. Searching intensely for the essential features, black eyes are set into deep sockets below a sharp brow ridge. A broad nose casts the darkest shadow that blends seamlessly into the ochre cheek. The stern mouth is delineated by reddish lips that dissolve into a prominent jowl. The pinkish ear is more tran...

"Self-Portrait with Green Background" Colored Pencil A self-portrait more concerned with the possibilities of line and color and less preoccupied with character and psychology. The picture is merely a sheet of textured paper covered by drawn forms that are filled with pencil pigment. The head’s deep shadow sculpts the rigid structure of the face while an array of golden hues attempts to express a glowing inner-light. The pink nose, ruddy ear and indigo eyes add some allure to the numinous color scheme. Thick strands of dark hair curl across a high forehead while tufts of muted gray are streaked into the sideburn. Accentuating the intense glare, sharp line work represents the many wrinkles and weathered features. The biggest gamble is the verdant background that is quilted from a puzzle of interlocking shapes. The various shades of green contrast strongly with the earthen flesh, creating a vibration between the complementaries. Searching for stability, the intention is not to ...

Simplicity “As I grew older, I realized that it was much better to insist on the genuine forms of nature, for simplicity is the greatest adornment of art.” ~ Albrecht Durer Evergreen, Colorado is that magical place situated over the rainbow. Upon arriving 22 years ago, we discovered a land of silvery aspen where bluebirds fly, red foxes hide and each morning begins with a golden sunrise. Away from the confusion of suburbia, I found more time to simplify my work. The true essence of nature became obvious. To simplify is difficult. I like to choose a motif and use all of my senses in a thorough examination. Observe the subject intensely and memorize the attractive, essential features. My camera is an indispensible tool in the process. It’s a digital eye that freezes a fleeting moment in time. I have steep reverence for nature so when I wander alone into a remote wilderness, it’s a spiritual experience transporting me closer to heaven. In order to create an honest representatio...

"Mount Evans Christmas" Watercolor It is a cold and windy day in a spectacular basin known as Upper Bear Creek. Buried under a blanket of fresh snow, Mount Evans is a lofty landmark that imposes it’s iron will on the local weather patterns. Tethered to the foreground, sturdy evergreens are built to withstand the brutal storms that wreak havoc on this hidden valley. Here, heavy snow clings to the blue spruce creating an intricate pattern of dark and light. This time of year, the landscape can only be expressed with mostly cool colors like blue and green. Surprisingly, there is also a few touches of pink and yellow scrubbed into this wintery composition. Such a difficult medium to work with, watercolor painting demands that you relinquish control. Most of the fluid brushstrokes are allowed to flow freely as they encourage you to let your imagination run wild. Strokes of pale color are washed across the smooth surface, giving a loose suggestion of the vast wonderlan...

"Pikes Peak Winter" Colored Pencil Dominating the skyline at Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak has been inspiring explorers, gold seekers and artists for over 200 years. It’s named after the adventurer Zebulon Pike who first beheld the majestic mountain in 1806. Rising out of rugged terrain, Garden of the Gods is a glorious gateway to the remarkable peak. During the winter Pikes Peak is speckled with white snow as much of the powder has been whisked away by a ferocious wind. The dramatic scenery features red sandstone slabs that stand out sharply against the dark greenery flourishing below. In this drawing, the white of the paper is the lightest end of the value scale while the foreground shadows are the darkest end. Shading the bushes is an effective way to create variety in tone, describe forms and imply detail while generating interest in the foreground elements. The subtle gradations clearly define the separate sections of brush. The composition’s warm undertone i...

"Elk Ridge Twilight" Colored Pencil It’s early summer in Evergreen and a collection of evening clouds drifts quietly over a broad ridge. The steep-sloping meadow, renowned for its high concentration of Rocky Mountain elk, is a haven for all wildlife. The field of lush grasses undulates towards a forest silhouette and the blue mountains beyond. The shadowy hillside is splintered with streaks of pure color that flood the foreground and fleck highlights onto the dark brush. This drawing is mostly about the setting sun’s fading light as it explodes through a temporary breach in the cloud-covered sky. The rays spread across the landscape resulting in an arresting impression that seems surreal. Described by fleeting effects, the tranquil setting instills the admirer with awe. It’s an artist’s statement exclaiming there’s nothing more spectacular in the state of Colorado than twilight on Elk Ridge.

"Wild Iris Meadow" Watercolor Wild Iris Meadow is a wonderful park located just beyond Evergreen, Colorado. It’s a warm Spring day but the weather is about to change as storm clouds have gathered over the snowbound Mount Evans Massive. The black guidelines are scribbled in with a felt-tipped pen, setting the tone for the simplification of the pretty scene. The bright colors are derived from a palette of pure yellow, green and blue. The loose brushwork is a difficult technique because it’s uncomfortable to let the fluid medium flow with uncontrolled freedom. Soft passages of warmer pigment spread unchecked across the painting’s lower foreground. Working in this way provokes great difficulty while dealing with the immediacy of an unforgiving medium. Despite its challenges, hopefully, this quick sketch captures the surreal beauty of a pristine wilderness.

"La Plata Peak" Watercolor At this time of year during the dark days of winter, dreams are filled with idyllic images of the picturesque high country. The presence of a monochrome landscape is replaced by a sleepy vision of vibrant color. Majestic, purple peaks are robed in slopes of fresh green and they loom above a sliver of shimmering, blue lake. Stretched across the page, an indigo forest of fragrant pine is a beautiful buffer zone. The immediate foreground is an alpine meadow filled with an absolute riot of dazzling wildflowers. It’s hard to imagine now but in just a few months, this impossibly-summery scene will become a virtual reality.

"Mount Sneffels Summer" Colored Pencil Situated in southwestern Colorado, Mount Sneffels is a spectacular precipice rising out of the San Juan Mountain Range. Looming above a field of vigorous dandelions and rolling foothills, the solemn monarch prevails over all comers. It's a pleasant summer evening and the setting sun bathes the scene in a peaceful ambiance that seems to permeate the entire area. Low, evening light floods in from the west creating strong shadows that define the rugged portrait of this beautiful peak. The picturesque scenery is lit by a golden hearth that burns from within so a warm undertone continues to show through even after successive layers of color are added. The result is a landscape drawing that glows with cheerful optimism. The lower section is bursting with bright yellow while blue shadows define the rigid structure of the impressive Rocky Mountains. The thoughtful design is influenced by the fact that elements filled with warm col...

Garden of the Angels By the end of October in the Colorado foothills, the birds have slipped away, the first snow has loosened and most of the leaves have fallen. Luckily, lower down near Morrison there’s still enough color to brighten your day. On a gorgeous, golden morning at the Garden of the Angels, autumn’s palette is composed from red, yellow and orange. The little creek that flows gently through this geologic wonderland is still lined with lush cottonwoods. With the world famous amphitheater set as its centerpiece, this unique state park is currently known as Red Rocks. It’s a surreal place where sandstone slabs are tilted precariously, thrusting upwards towards a deep, blue sky. Stair-stepped trails weave through the preserve, offering a fresh viewpoint at every turn. If you’re able to position yourself at just the right angle, you’ll see pale foliage set against dark shadows, creating a striking contrast of color and tone. The search for a last bit of this year’s ...

Broad-tailed Hummingbird Rocky Mountain summers are distinguished by warmer temps, colorful wildflowers and the metallic trill of thin air whistling through the wings of tiny migrants. Zooming through our high meadows, the broad-tailed hummingbird is an energetic visitor. Bursting onto the scene around May, they arrive from their sun-drenched homeland situated south of the border. These hearty birds have developed a unique characteristic that allows them to survive the harsh conditions present at such a high altitude. Broad-tailed hummingbirds save enough energy to survive the bitterly cold nights by lowering their internal thermostat, becoming hypothermic. This reduced physiological state is an evolutionary adaptation that is referred to as torpor. Torpor is a type of deep sleep where a bird's heart rate drops, breathing slows and its metabolic rate lowers by as much as 95%. By doing so, a torpid hummingbird can save up to 60% of its available energy as opposed to when ...

"Forest Edge" Colored Pencil It's an early spring evening in the Front Range foothills as golden light streams through this quiet corridor. Waves of yellow grasses churn across the valley floor like a turbulent, yellow sea. The shadows are violet and their strange shapes follow the contour of a rugged landscape. The centerpiece of the scenery is a pair of red bushes that inhabit this special domain. The forest edge is a dark barrier of scattered pine trees set in the picture's background. Subtle shading helps define the individual forms while a few streaks of lemon break up the deepest greens. A single Ponderosa seems to have captured the spotlight as it stretches vertically into a powder-blue sky. In the vast expanse a few clouds drift slowly out of the west with trail edges that disintegrate into the atmosphere. Simplified shapes and exaggerated color are stippled onto the page in a pointillistic manner, recording an impression of a fleeting moment in t...

Saddle Rock On a sweltering summer day in Nebraska, we hiked at Scottsbluff National Monument all the way up to the top of Saddle Rock. Unfortunately, a natural roadblock forced a detour but that didn’t diminish our resolve. Just like the first pioneers, we approached the remarkable formation by crossing the rolling hills of a flower-filled prairie. Recent rainfall had transformed the vibrant grassland into a kaleidoscope of vivid color. The spacious summit was a unique habitat featuring steep ledges, ponderosa pine and dangerous rattlesnakes. Views were far-reaching as a wide vista included the Twin Cities and most of the North Platte Valley. I can only imagine what it must have been like to migrate across this vast landscape so many years ago. Things are different now but when you visit a place such as this, you still get a sense for what it was like when the West was wild. Scottsbluff National Monument From the top of Saddle Rock Rolling hills A flower-...