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Showing posts from 2017

Goliath Peak - Colored Pencil Drawing

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"Goliath Peak" Colored Pencil Indiscriminate with its wrath, Goliath Peak is a ferocious summit controlling entry into the Mount Evans Massive. Expressed in the composition above, a casual climb is transfigured into a crippling circumstance of chaos and confusion. And so it begins just below tree line where sinister, black pine are guardians of the gateway to Gehenna. Jumbled across the foreground, patches of muted color are arranged in strange, interlocking shapes. At the far end of the earth, blue mountains are an impenetrable barrier compressing the space into a suffocating picture plane. Silvery green in the summer, the hulking behemoth looms above but it’s not quite as close as it appears. Gnarled, gray snags are twisted in front of the darkest darks as their pale presence is a painful reminder of our certain mortality. Hopefully, the most recent storm has passed as promised by broken clouds that disperse across the steel-blue sky. Reaching the top is a back

Mount Evans Winter - Watercolor

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"Mount Evans Winter" Watercolor It's 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’s also some pink and yellow washed into the drifts that are angled across the foreground. 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 scrubbed across the textured surface, giving a loose suggestion of the v

Elk Meadow Loop - A Brown Christmas

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Elk Meadow, Colorado It looks like it’s going to be a brown Christmas because the local weather forecast doesn’t call for any moisture in the near future. Usually by now there’s a bit of snow on the ground but this year the fall has been warm and dry. Every day we awake to clear, sunny skies that delay winter’s arrival, keeping even the smallest ponds from becoming frozen. Most people are enjoying the unusual conditions but the photographer must use curious techniques in order to document the dull scenery. Last week while looping around Elk Meadow, I found myself looking for creative ways to portray the barren landscape. At one of my favorite places overlooking the park, I took to shooting straight into the dazzling sun. Further on, a lone rock is described with strong contrast as it’s settled on a bed of soft grass. Along the dusty trail and down into a damp drainage, a ghostly grove of aspen are an eerie niche in the dark forest. Out on the open ridge, a flood of yellow

Mule Deer Moment - A Dramatic Effect

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Mule Deer Moment On a dreary, early-autumn morning in the Front Range foothills, swollen, gray clouds have descended to the earth. The colorless curtain shrouds the countryside with an air of mystery and eerie silence. There’s no reason to carry a camera because the low light makes it impossible to even conceive of documenting this unique weather phenomena. In the cold and wet there’s plenty of solitude as there’s not another living soul in sight. A steady drizzle of much needed moisture causes the outline of all elements in the landscape to soften and become blurred. Despite the absence of light, the fall color is more vibrant when the grasses, trees and brush are coated with a vaporous sheen. The soggy jaunt comes with no expectations of anything special as it’s just a chance to soak up the surroundings. Suddenly, up over the crest of a broad ridge a trio of gentle animals is grazing right at the forest’s edge. It’s a mule deer moment that’s just too irresistible to disr

Mount Sneffels Summer - Colored Pencil Drawing

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"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

Evergreen Lake - Wonderful Waterfowl

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Evergreen Lake On an exceptionally beautiful morning at Evergreen Lake, a dusting of fresh snow was hard evidence of a cold night. As the transition to winter gradually occurs, the last bit of open water was vanishing beneath a veil of thin ice. Clouds of moist air began to disperse but they diffused the low light, resulting in an effect of milky atmosphere. Usually during the quiet season, you won’t glimpse a single soul in the vacant wetlands but on that day we observed a pair of wonderful waterfowl. Perched on a rocky outcrop, a double-crested cormorant was drying its wings down below the dam’s spillway. Distinguished by piercing blue eyes, this prehistoric-looking creature was probably just passing through while on his way to a much warmer place. Around on the far end of the blue reservoir, we encountered one of my favorite species, the American dipper. It was a pleasant surprise because I normally see this chunky, little bird farther downstream feeding in the fast-flowi

Chief Hosa Trail - Peaceful and Beautiful

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A study in contrast Looping casually behind a historic chalet, Chief Hosa Trail is a hardened pathway that passes through forests of Douglas fir, lodgepole and ponderosa pine. Devoid of much activity during this season, autumn is a fine time to bask in nature’s glory. The enlightened track circumnavigates a broad ridge that knifes through the wilderness, sharing with the keen observer a study in sharp contrast. By traversing the hillside, you’ll encounter two distinctly different ecosystems. The north-facing slope is mired in an eternal shadow where giant fir and spruce trees envelope the lush undergrowth of glossy ferns. Once inside you’ll discover that deep snow is ever-present and white aspen glow against the dark backdrop. The south-facing slope is flooded with bright sunlight where the ponderosa pine are twisted above an open scrubland of yellow grasses. Out there the rocky terrain is wide open with far-reaching views that extend all the way to the Continental Divide.

Little Bighorn Valley - Colored Pencil Drawing

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"Little Bighorn Valley" Colored Pencil It’s springtime on the northern plains and the Little Bighorn Valley is a kaleidoscope of lively colors. From the rim of this lonely overlook, one can review Montana’s remarkable landscape. Carving a rugged valley within the vast prairie, a winding river comes rushing down out of the big, gray mountains. You can barely catch a glimpse of the water as its concealed by a sprawling forest of cottonwood. The lush treetops form wavy bands of foliage that are highlighted with lemon yellow. The trees are mostly green and modeled with dark shadows that appear more blue as they recede into the distance. The sweeping hillside is steeper than it looks as it blends smoothly into the canyon floor. Just below the summit, a small patch of scrubby woodland has found its niche in a crease of earth called a coulee. Blemishes of sagebrush are stippled randomly throughout the countryside’s quilted patchwork of fresh growth. Flowing across the p

Genesee Mountain - Bursting with Beauty

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Genesee Mountain trail When heading up out of Denver, the first big peak you’ll encounter is the wonderful Genesee Mountain. A network of well-worn trails spirals around its flanks, taking you all the way to the top. On a cold November morning the colors are dull and gray but the spectacular setting is classic Colorado foothills. The steep, grassy slopes are golden ochre and covered by an old-growth forest of ponderosa pine. Erected at the precipice, a sturdy flagpole flys an American flag that’s tattered from the constant barrage of blowing wind. The historic guidon is a beacon of national pride and it’s determined flight is a symbol of the pioneer spirit. Every Flag Day since 1911, an organization called the Daughters of the American Revolution has replaced the shredded banner with a new recruit. Off towards the west a patriotic path, inspired by the Stars and Stripes, descends gradually into a wide open meadow. After you break out of the woodland, you can get right up c