Impression Evergreen

American Robin The American Robin has become so common that his classical beauty is often overlooked and his mere presence taken for granted. By the end of February, males of this species show up here looking to establish territory. The identity of this Proclaimer of Spring is unmistakable with his bursting, brick-red chest, gray-brown back, charcoal head and pale throat with dark streaks. The bird’s sharp eyes are ringed with white and the yellow bill is tipped with black. He prefers to nest up high in the bough of a healthy ponderosa pine but he spends most of his day scampering about the meadow searching for insects and earthworms. While on the ground, he’s ever cautious as he keeps a wary eye out for any approaching birds of prey. He is an industrious bird that is first to rise in the morning and last to roost in the evening all the while singing a cheerful song. During the summer, his nightly lullaby serenades the forest dwellers with a peaceful melody. There are a f

"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.

"Grazing Horses, Nebraska" Colored Pencil “Through art we can change the world.” ~ #twitterartexhibit It’s a warm summer day in Bridgeport, Nebraska and a pair of horses is grazing peacefully in a prairie paradise. The grasses carpeting this Garden of Eden are a patchwork quilt of verdant colors. A few cottonwood trees are topped with a full canopy of dense foliage, casting blue shadows that offer some cool relief from the oppressive heat. Hopefully the gathering of bulbous clouds will result in an afternoon rain shower. Colored pencil is applied over a stipple-textured paper, portraying a fleeting impression of this pastoral scene. Flecks of white paper show through even the darkest passages, creating a pointillistic effect that sparkles with light. The optimism expressed by this picture is derived from the beauty of the two animals on display. An Appaloosa and a Red Dunn Quarterhorse, they reveal a perfect harmony that can only be found when immersed in nature.

Snowy Dillon Reservoir In 1883, during the height of Colorado’s gold rush, the town of Dillon was established at the confluence of three remarkable rivers. Ten Mile Creek, the Snake and the Blue came together, creating a natural finger lake in a basin of unsurpassed beauty. After the mines played out, Dillon’s population dwindled while other towns in the area began to thrive thanks to the booming ski industry. Denver’s population exploded and folks in that dusty, old cowtown were thirsting for more fresh water. The Denver Water Board came up with an idea to dam the Blue River and divert water via an underground pipeline dug through the Continental Divide. The board acquired the land and water rights needed to construct the reservoir while residents and businesses were notified that they must sell and leave by September 15, 1961. The earth-filled dam was completed in 1963 and it sends water gushing from the Blue River Basin through the 23.3 mile Harold D. Roberts Tunnel into