Impression Evergreen

"Zion Canyon" Colored Pencil Celebrated for its rivers, lakes, mountains and canyons, the Colorado Plateau is a complicated composition. It would take a lifetime to fully explore and comprehend this unusual place. To express southern Utah’s unending beauty through perfection would certainly fail. Devoid of tedious details, this desert landscape was drawn freely from an etched memory. It’s a sizzling, summer day in Zion Canyon where the clear air is hot and dry. An orange undertone permeates the textured paper and infuses the dreamy rendering with a warm glow. Providing some relief from the heat, a row of crooked cottonwoods lines the muddy riverbank. Exiting at an angle, the Virgin is a refreshing river whose color reflects the powder-blue sky. The soft edges of a wispy, white cloud seem to melt into an infinite atmosphere. Photographs are unable to interpret the scenery with acceptable realism so a vivid imagination is required. As a cactus anchors the corner,...

"Glacier Gorge" Colored Pencil Sculpted in rock by wind and ice, Glacier Gorge is a dramatic dreamscape. The rocky ravine is renowned for its rugged peaks, raging waterfalls and remote lakes. This composition depicts the unforgettable entry into that complicated chasm where morning sun creates strong contrast and dark shadows. Sharp clouds are settled in a blended-blue sky. The violet backdrop of rocky mountains is capped by the square summit of Longs Peak. Gashed by Glacier Creek, the canyon walls are purple and pink. The rush of turquoise water streams down from Mills Lake and exits the scene. Luckily, a rock ledge in the foreground lures the viewer back in by promising a perfect overlook. So close to the tundra, the shapes and sizes of weather-beaten trees becomes surreal. Complying with a risky intent, the pine-forest-passage is expressed through subtle insinuation. Still stored in the mind, a hazy memory from last summer was guided by an unsure left hand. Afte...

Snowy Stagecoach Hollow If you follow a crooked road west, heading towards the row of blue mountains charged with procuring the setting sun, you'll discover a steep canyon carved by a ribbon of black ice. The secluded glen is called Stagecoach Hollow. Local legend has it that a tenacious mistral prowls the area bedeviling visitors. Winter snow creates a monochrome landscape where white aspen contrast with the dark pine. Because the rugged terrain is a mosaic of mud, rocks, snow and ice, navigation requires the nimbleness of a goat. Howling like a ghostly demon, the relentless wind chased us down into the brooding forest. The mysterious sanctuary was a tangle of gnarled tree trunks and broken limbs. Confined to a murky chasm during the December dusk, a daunting staircase was the only way out. The stiff breeze kept pace, whirling through the treetops and over cliff edges like an insane daredevil. Across a footbridge and finally back up top, a final blast of blowing snow st...

"I Like Pizza" by Bern and Lukas Miller In the year 2076, Jupiter's massive, red storm exploded into a cataclysmic event that sent shockwaves streaming through the galaxy. An orbiting moon-planet named Ganymede was slingshot into deep space. Rocketing toward the sun, it was heavily damaged as it passed through the asteroid belt. The pummeled planet was spinning out of control before finally coming to rest within the Earth's orbit. Incredibly, we not only inherited a second moon but also strange, new guests from a beleaguered colony. The Ganymedeans are a peaceful bunch who miraculously survived the harrowing 400 million mile journey. They lived in subterranean chambers while subsisting mainly on native roots and grubs. In the most dramatic rescue the world has ever seen, brave pilots from the IGG (Inter-Galactic Guard) shuttled survivors back to Earth. After months of military debriefing, medical exams and governmental processing, the lucky pilgrims have as...