Impression Evergreen

"Bergen Peak from Evergreen Lake" Colored Pencil A swift breeze sweeps across the surface of Evergreen Lake sending ripples through the reservoir’s vivid reflections. It’s springtime in the foothills so fresh greenery is on display but the willow brush and aspen trees are not yet in full bloom. The whole Bear Creek Valley has come back to life and Bergen Peak looms over the scene, its north face cradled by a web of branches and pine needles. The reinvigorated forest reaches to the water’s edge where a slender tree leans into the vibrant landscape. After enduring a perpetual winter of deep freeze, the vernal atmosphere raises the spirit to a higher level of longing. Like the small cloud drifting across the drawing’s page, nothing stays the same as nature seems to thrive in constant change.

Elk Ridge Secluded in Bergen Peak’s purple shadow, a writhing dirt path snakes it’s way through a tall grass meadow. From the wavy elk pasture, you can see Elk Ridge’s dark spine curve above a dense forest of ponderosa pine. The narrow crinkle of rocky trail is a scenic backbone that bridges the flatland with the big mountain’s steep slopes. This year an assortment of yellow wildflowers sprout from the rich turf, glittering like gold medallions in the summer sunlight. Tall, leaning trees testify to the power of strong wind gusts that blow intermittently across the open sections of the rugged buttress. Blue clouds churn overhead promising precipitation but the atmosphere is too hot so it doesn’t rain at all. From the summit of the natural crease in the land, the edges of pyramidal peaks in the distance are softened by a smokey haze. The current season is fleeting as during the lazy descent, departing bluebirds, turning aspen leaves and floating thistle seed hint at an early autumn. A

Big, big snow It’s the middle of March and nature has not unexpectedly unleashed a furious blizzard that has buried the foothills with big, big snow. A sparkling Bergen Peak overlooks the aftermath from its lofty position. The pyramid-shaped monolith dominates the landscape and becomes the center of interest in the Cezannesque composition. The pine trees are completely wrapped in cloaks of heavy, wet snow that cling to the conifers like glue. Shot from a different perspective, the peaks portrait is enhanced by a unique border of branches and laurel. The mostly monochrome mountains are quite dramatic but after a season of gray, I’m anxious to experience the first colors of a much needed spring. Middle of March A furious blizzard Bergen overlooks the aftermath Pine trees are wrapped in snow Bergen Peak dominates the landscape Buried in snow Anxious for Spring Season of gray A Cezannesque landscape

"Blue Bergen Peak" Colored Pencil Below a blue Bergen Peak, the late winter landscape is a clash of complementary colors, changing seasons and converging perspectives. The spirited mood is heightened by stylized shapes, gradual shading and the application of dense pigment. Burning under a bright sun, the fiery field in the foreground blazes across the picture plane from crimson red to Spanish orange. The confusion of excessive detail has succumbed to a smooth gradient of analogous colors. A stubborn remnant from a recent storm, a drift of deep snow lingers in the shadows of a troublesome gulch. Patches of still more snow are scattered across the vermillion grassland that recedes into the distance. A remarkable pine tree explodes into the composition from the right, dwarfing the other elements during its desperate call for attention. It’s vibrant foliage is an organic swirl of light and shadow that is splayed out into the air. The sky is broken into two tiers of differ

Bergen Gulch Settled below the southern slopes of Bergen Peak, Bergen Gulch is a discreet wetland that supports flowers, birds and wildlife. This time of year the cattails are beginning to ripen and the lupine are in full bloom so blackbirds and elk engage in a territorial dispute over the bountiful land. Filling the discreet ravine, the large-leaved lupine are massive plants whose ladder-like blossoms climb towards the sky. The hungry wapiti are anything but gentle as they tromp through the purple field, consuming a huge swath in a single sitting. The little red-wings have fledged so while they’re learning to fly, their protective parents aggressively dive-bomb anyone who happens to wander into the area. The conglomeration of chickadees, juncos and nuthatches is small but noisy as the busy birds scour the ponderosa pine for anything edible. Branching off from Bergen Peak’s most beautiful side, the muddy drainage, depending on the season, varies from a trickle to a deluge. The sm

"White Bergen Peak" Colored Pencil It is daybreak after a big storm and a white Bergen Peak is like an apparition rising out of an undulating field. Blanketed by fresh snow, the mountain’s bulky form is defined by sharp, gray shadows. A dormant grove of ochre aspen clings to the pale behemoth’s lower slope while dark trees dot the valley floor in the distance. A receding ridge line is set at an angle as it cuts through the middle of such spectacular scenery. Cast as the center of interest, a ponderosa pine creates a striking profile against a backdrop of open air. It’s curving, crimson trunk is topped by a bright green canopy whose beautiful blue shadows melt into the heavens. As the moisture dissipates, an ominous, cobalt-colored sky gradually gives way to sparkling cerulean. A flood of warm sunlight sets the grassland on fire as interlocking shapes of red, yellow and orange sweep across the foreground. The barrage of bad weather is just beginning so it won’t be

Below Bergen Peak It is a brisk sunrise in the meadow below Bergen Peak where the solemn monarch presides over the forlorn foothills. Scattered haphazardly across the golden field, ponderosa pine are lonely sentinels overseeing any approach. After a month of mild weather, most of the snow has melted but there are a few drifts that still survive in the shadows. On this clear winter morning, wispy white clouds are blown across a cobalt blue sky. The muddy trail, set upon a tilted plain, is a gradual incline that is quite grueling to traverse. While the scenery on this day may not be so spectacular, the sleepy landscape affords some serenity in order to recharge the soul for another year. Snow drifts survive in the shadows Wispy white clouds A grueling traverse A sleepy landscape Serenity to recharge the soul A solemn monarch Lonely sentinels Ponderosa pine

Elk Ridge, Colorado The morning after a mid-May snowstorm, Elk Ridge is a pristine landscape rising above untouched territory. Breaking trail through drifts of deep snow impedes progress but on this day there is no rush to reach the top. Frosted Bergen Peak looms over the white meadow where a grove of green aspen accentuates the scenic splendor. Blue shadows undulate across a frozen surface that blankets the rugged earth buried so far below. While trudging along the edge of the dark woodland, tall pine trees release a deluge of icy snowmelt. Drenched from head to toe, the wanderer in this wilderness is bound to get wet and chilled to the bone. By late afternoon, the warm sun has begun to release the foothills from the weakening grip of the season's last winter storm. Truly, it shouldn't come as a surprise because this unusual pattern has become an annual event. It seems outrageous to be experiencing such inclement weather at this time but the snow will not last lon