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Showing posts from December, 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