Impression Evergreen

"High Country Clouds" Colored Pencil It’s a perfect, summer day in Colorado’s Front Range where soft clouds drift across a hard wilderness that’s constructed from wood, rock and water. The remote cirque is set below a string of jagged giants who don’t possess even a trace of snow. As is usual in the alpine environment, a dense thicket of verdant willows inhabit the outskirts of a pristine, glacial tarn. The surface of the ice-cold reservoir shimmers from a placid wind that rushes into the valley from the west. The high country clouds are beginning to gather and their choppy shapes reflect the rugged contour of the mountain peaks that occupy space far below. The naturalistic vision is portrayed in a more accurate, traditional manner concerning line, shading, perspective, composition and color. The subtle hues, observed in thin air, are a woven tapestry of the three primary colors, resulting in an endless gradation of gray. A delicate mix of ochre, pink and cerulean create

Lower Square Top Lake Out of Georgetown up at the top of Guanella Pass there’s a faint trail heading west into the wilderness. Bushwhacking through muddy bogs and thickets of prickly willows, the alpine trek to Square Top Lakes is an uphill battle all the way. Stair-stepped into the ochre grassland, the cobalt reservoirs are a striking study in color contrast. Twilight softens the landscape and radiates onto the jagged peaks in the distance as passing clouds cast peculiar shadows across Mount Bierstadt and the Sawtooth Ridge. Spending an afternoon above tree line on a secluded thirteener is a precious experience. While tramping back across the tundra on a warm autumn evening, it’s obvious that the wealth of beauty amassed by these mountains can’t be measured in anything but gold. Sawtooth Ridge Peculiar shadows An ochre grassland A wealth of beauty

"Moraine Park" During the early winter, ice chips are sprayed down from the Great Divide into the Moraine Park Valley. Heavy clouds lurk towards the horizon erasing from view the big peaks that confine the isolated meadow. The glacial gorge was gradually created by the corrosive forces of ice, wind and rain. One of the eroded land’s last dynamic remnants is a wild, winding river known as the Big Thompson. At this point in its course, the creek meanders lazily through the gentle grassland. Some of the most distinguishing features are the protruding boulders that seem to stand upright during the season’s low tide. The yellow-ochre field is gouged by muddy, black banks that slide into the sandbars of rocky rubble. Tangled rows of red-violet willows adorn the deep fringes of this gorgeous waterway. It’s a heavenly region tucked away high in the northern Rockies where Colorado’s alpine beauty begins. As the grandeur continues to sprawl south, there are innumerable noo

"Sneffels Range Spring" Acrylic Tucked discretely below the Dallas Divide, the Sneffels is a scenic sub-range of the San Juan Mountains. The confusion of untidy crags is a rugged remnant of an ancient volcano. It's late spring but bare rock is beginning to emerge from a shroud of heavy, winter snow. A row of crooked cottonwoods is an elaborate gateway into the Colorado wild. Patches of delicate dandelions are scattered throughout the lush meadow while an assembly of blazing brush complicates an already busy foreground. As a gray sky drizzles the landscape with cold rain, receding into the distance, colors cool from violet to blue-green. A series of spectacular buttes is a scenic prelude to an awesome alpine environment where cautious strokes define the ragged peaks. Composed from equal parts image, experience and memory, this painting was not meant to hang on a wall. It's more of a sketch than a showpiece. A little bit looser and fabricated with less concer

Shrine Pass, Colorado Up at the apex of Vail Pass there's a bumpy side-road that will take you even higher. Once a vital link between the Blue and Eagle River valleys, Shrine Pass is now considered a scary shortcut to Red Cliff but it's more than just that. Shrine Pass is a remarkable alpine passageway traversing the spine of a continent. The high altitude realm is know for deep snow, rock slabs and cold silence. An evening arrival will offer unfiltered light and long shadows. Perched on top of the world, a birds-eye view features a circular array of snowy peaks. From this lofty throne, you'll command views of the stupendous Sawatch, tremendous Ten Mile and gorgeous Gore Ranges. The roll-call of mountain chains within reach of your retina is impressive. Our late fall visitation was a fantastic experience but I'm looking forward to a warm weather return when the hillsides are transformed into a wildflower wonderland. A bumpy, dirt road An alpine passa

The alpine tundra The alpine tundra is a peaceable kingdom set high above the clouds and surrounded by jagged peaks. Located above 11,000 feet in Colorado, the high altitude biome is characterized by an extreme climate. Heavy snow, freezing temperatures, fierce winds and a glaring sun make this domain an inhospitable place to live. In Colorado's Rocky Mountains, paradise has been restored. Astonishingly, a distinct aggregation of plants and animals has managed to adapt to the arctic-style ecosystem. The unique creatures that inhabit such a lofty realm are a tight-knit bunch. They have learned to rely on each other in order to survive in such a harsh habitat. The flora in "the land of no trees" is dominated by dwarfed, perennial ground cover that grows and reproduces slowly. Some plants take two or more years to produce buds, which survive winters below the surface and then open brilliant flowers that bloom during the few weeks of summer. In the fall, an inner lig

Ancient bristlecone pines are guardians of the alpine tundra "The heavens seem to be nearer the earth. The elements are less reserved and distinct. Water turns to ice, rain to snow. The day is but a Scandinavian night. The winter is an arctic summer." ~ Henry David Thoreau Located above Squaw Pass Road in the foothills of Colorado's Front Range, Chief Mountain rises above the surrounding valleys to offer spectacular scenery from its rocky summit. The panoramic views begin with Mount Evans and the Continental Divide to the west, Longs Peak looms to the north and massive Pikes Peak can be seen to the south. Eastward you'll see Squaw Peak and the Evergreen Mountains. What makes Chief Mountain special is its unique access to the wonderful world above the trees. After a quick hike through a dense forest of spruce and fir, the trees become stunted and windblown. Rare bristlecone pines are ancient guardians of this incredible ecosystem. The alpine tundra is a stunnin