Impression Evergreen

"The Great Blue" Colored Pencil It’s late summer in the foothills and a great blue heron is hunting quietly along the shoreline of Evergreen Lake. The chaos generated by the passing storm from just minutes ago has receded and a peaceful calm has overtaken the watery habitat. The bird’s image is mirrored on the surface of the smooth reservoir just as the undulating landscape is a reflection of the billowy sky overhead. Above, a churning wave of bulbous clouds streams across the troubled firmament while below, a sea of tussled grasses rushes into the lower marshland. The meadow, lake, mountains, forest and sky are described similarly so as to unify these elements into a coherent whole. The shared color and soft shading transcends the harsh reality into a more pleasing aesthetic. The dim light knows no boundary so a certain murkiness pervades the entire atmosphere, narrowing the range of hue and contrast. The somber palette is relieved by a few flecks and passages of pure o

Early Spring Evergreen Erected along the grassy shoreline, a statuesque heron hunts discreetly in the evening light. The virtuous, great blue displays extraordinary patience while stalking prey in the muddy shallows. It’s barely spring at Evergreen Lake so there’s not much activity except for an occasional ruckus raised by the red-wings. While I was in the vicinity, I never witnessed the great blue take a stab at anything edible so I hope she wasn’t overly famished. Crumpled under heavy snow for most of the winter, the dusky marshland is slowly creeping back to life. Most of the barren trees are just now starting to sprout buds at the tips of their limber branches. The surrounding mountains are impressive as ever after shedding their white blanket. The ring of high hills creates a sequestered valley enclosing an Edenic landscape bursting with both flora and fauna. Because of the dramatic cloud cover, fading rays of sunshine strike the slopes at unusual angles. The peaks appear

Midwinter Blues It’s midwinter and it won’t stop snowing as Evergreen is experiencing one or two storms every week. During small interludes, warmer weather generates some melting but, overall, the big drifts continue to grow. On clear days, the subzero temps are brutal but the sun’s clean rays infiltrate the forest causing the trees to sparkle. The giant pine cast deep blue shadows that undulate across the wavy surface of the sea of snow. Last summer the lively marshland was brimming with activity as the place is popular with both people and wildlife but now it’s as still as a cemetery. If you can withstand the elements, there is a certain peace that can only be found in such winter haunts. Monolithic Bergen Peak quietly overlooks the grandeur of a frozen landscape paralyzed by the bitter cold. The mountain’s stoic expression reveals a permanence that’s reassuring during these ever-changing times. While buried under feet of white powder, life struggles to survive as the wild anim

"Blue Inlet" Colored Pencil It is a late spring morning at Evergreen Lake and a potent storm has blanketed the foothills with wet snow. The only living creature bearing witness to the extraordinary landscape is a Canada goose, drifting quietly across the water’s rippled surface. The blue inlet is defined by the irregular contours of dark reflections that mirror the surrounding pine forest. This cold channel meanders through a snowy marsh painted white but dappled with squiggly, gray shadows. A mountainside’s choppy ridgeline descends into the narrow valley creating an effective backdrop for the stand of pale aspen trees. In the far background a jade-colored peak offers just a touch of warmth to the otherwise cool, color scheme. This wilderness expression is an enigmatic puzzle of interlocking shapes that vibrate from the contrast generated by passages of flat and shaded chroma. The solemn composition is crackled with facets of pigment that are layered, burnished and smu

Cold, blue creek It’s brutally frigid on the Arctic plain but a cold, blue creek rushes defiantly through a field of icy florets. Freshly fallen snow has created a deep embankment smoothed over by persistent winds. Providing a warm note, reddish trees are gathered in clusters that are scattered throughout the winter pasture. At 22 degrees below zero, there isn’t another living creature to be seen, making the extraordinary wandering even more memorable. The intense storm has cleared out but even a dazzling sun can’t warm up the cushion of cold air that has filled the void left behind. The stream of transparent indigo flows in a series of sharp s-curves through a vast country of desolation. Life on the prairie is hard. Brutally frigid Deep embankments Icy florets Freshly fallen snow A dazzling sun An indigo stream Cushion of cold air Desolate country Life on the prairie is hard Reddish trees

Northport Blues Located on the distant side of the river, Northport is concealed in the faraway Sandhills of western Nebraska. From a high overlook, the idyllic valley is a comforting tapestry woven together from cottonwood trees, corn fields and cattle pastures. While out on the prairie wandering with the pack, it feels like you can march a million miles without ever seeing another soul. We accompany a little creek as it makes a lonely journey through remote ranch land until the confluence with the doleful North Platte. A herd of horses grazes near the riverbank but their curiosity is perked by the stranger who approaches their barbed fence line. Broncos are more prevalent than people as they are an important part of the very fabric that binds this frontier society. The region has been in a terrible drought but as a result, dry air allows warm light to infiltrate the peaceful vale. With not even a patch of snow, there is no White Christmas but on this special evening while roamin