Impression Evergreen

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...

Evergreen Summer After enduring one of the coldest and snowiest spring seasons on record, it’s only natural that the start of this summer has been cool and wet. The continuous monsoon has been somewhat of a blessing as the parched foothills have suffered from a terrible drought that has lasted for several years. Streaming down from snow packed summits, Bear Creek is running high and fast as it has filled Evergreen Lake to the brim. There isn’t a more picturesque place in the state when the reservoir is permeated by a mixture of drizzled moisture, breaking clouds and fading light. When not shrouded in mist, Bergen Peak glistens with a sheen of fresh color that seems to give the mountain a supernatural glow. Thriving from the rainy weather, the lush, green meadows have experienced a profusion of wildflowers, songbirds and hungry elk. Finally emerging from a frozen darkness, the Renaissance of good fortune has transformed the landscape into a lively ecosystem. One of the things I ad...

"Early Spring Evergreen" Colored Pencil It’s early spring in Evergreen and a few mule deer are grazing peacefully on the fresh, green grass. Always alert, the young bucks are curious but cautious as they move carefully through the soggy park. The weather is nicer now but definitely damp as this year’s wet monsoon has left the landscape with a glossy sheen. A condensed vapor of fine mist rises from the ground, defining certain elements with a soft halo. Elk Meadow is an embroidery of subtle strokes woven together with layers of rich color. The mysterious atmosphere combined with unique texture and simple shading evokes the drawing’s dreamy appearance. Rising out of a row of dark trees, the hazy foothills are expressed with overlapping shades of beautiful blue. Since the sun is setting, the steel sky is tinged with yellow and a large ponderosa pine emanates warmth from the inside out. After suffering through a horrendous drought for the last several years, the mois...