Frozen Oasis - Colored Pencil Drawing

"Frozen Oasis" Colored Pencil

Secreted away in a secluded canyon, a frozen oasis provides solace in the midst of winter’s barren wilderness. An extraordinary shaft of audacious light pervades the dim forest, creating shadows of sparkling blue.

After enduring the turmoil associated with a dramatic weather event, it’s uplifting to break trail and discover a setting that’s saturated with peace and tranquility. The snowy landscape is beautifully composed.

Anchoring the foreground, a pile of snow-covered rocks exhibit unusual forms that are suggested by a patchwork of soft shading. The hidden creek, also camouflaged by snow, is barely discernible except for a sliver of icy water that reflects the surrounding scenery.

Cascading from a broad ridge, the enchanted woodland is glittered with flecks of fresh snowfall. Drifts accumulate on the branches creating abstract patterns of light and dark that swirl through the forest like spirits.

The near trees are shadowed with violet, gradate to green and, where the edges are lit by the fading sun, they glow like gold. Look upslope and the atmosphere changes, the distant evergreens exude another metallic hue but this time silver.

Fragments of the purest blue fall from above, cutting a ragged contour that separates the earth from sky. The outburst has passed but a few wispy clouds straggle away before evaporating into the firmament.

The somber palette and deep values evoke a feeling of serene calm often found after a powerful storm. Following the chaos and confusion experienced during a foothills blizzard, a sense of balance and order are finally restored.