Impression Evergreen

Bergen Park Trail The Bergen Park Trail is a distinct walkway that circumnavigated a very old swath of ponderosa pine forest. The giant trees blot out the sun but some especially resilient rays of light pierce the canopy of sharp needles. The subtle luminescence is responsible for the soft shadows that creep across the summer’s last tufts of tall grass. At the southern section of the green belt, the scenery opens up where a pair of little ponds reflects the scenic backdrop. This mild season seems eternal as there has been hardly a hint of the snow that normally adorns the landscape this time of year. We will wait anxiously for the first big storm that generates the winter weather to which we’ve become so accustomed. Bergen Park Circumnavigates old pine Ponds reflect the backdrop Mild season seems eternal Waiting for a storm

The cycle of life After this fall’s first snow, pleasant reflections of more comforting times wrestle with an overwrought mind. The former glory of a vivacious Elk Meadow and its adjacent woodland is now nothing but a bittersweet memory. The graceful grassland battled to the very end but eventually succumbed to powerful, natural forces beyond the season’s control. The unsuspecting landscape was swept into a futile murkiness by an icy gust determined to steal an innocent soul. The difficult trauma induced by such transitional change can only be overcome by the passage of precious time. The cycle of life is a callous certainty responsible for happiness and heartbreak but in either case we must possess the strength to carry on. Pleasant reflections Vivacious elk meadow Bittersweet memories An unsuspecting landscape Graceful grassland Transitional change The passage of time Happiness and heartbreak The cycle of life The strength to carry on

Evergreen Lake summer During the summer, Evergreen Lake is a gleaming eden treasured by floating waterfowl, rainbow trout and the great blue heron. Below the dam, a bountiful garden of wildflowers bursts forth, displaying nature’s full color spectrum. The biggest draw is the plethora of birds that inhabit this area during the year’s warmest months. The lively reservoir is home to cormorants, geese, blackbirds, swallows, sparrows, hummingbirds, hawks and bald eagles.   The region’s wildest weather is funneled through Bear Creek Canyon so some of the most surreal clouds can be seen reflected on the surface of the lake. The forest creeps down to the water creating interesting compositions with branches shaped to follow the contour of Bergen Peak. The popular park is a place that has something to offer everyone so the usage gets pretty heavy. That’s why summer isn’t necessarily my favorite season - I like this place in the winter, after a storm, when the only noise is the soun...

Mount Vernon Creek Trail The Mount Vernon Creek Trail is an outlying pathway tracing the outer contour of Red Rocks' frontier boundary. It’s early spring so there’s not much foliage but the barren trees stand out sharply against vermillion crags. While trekking over the rolling terrain, several little streams come tumbling down out of the foothills and flow discreetly into the Mount Vernon. Up out of the valley and a stunning array of sandstone formations dominate the diverse landscape. During the delightful descent, a hidden gulch is chock full of flowering bushes featuring blossoms of pure white. Back down in the bottomlands far from the crowds above, we follow the cottonwoods and soon find ourselves in a place that feels like our own, little forest of peace. Diverse landscape Sandstone formations Barren trees A stunning array Rolling terrain Early spring Flowering bushes Vermillion crags White blossoms The frontier boundary A forest of peace Mount Vernon Creek valley A little ...

"Mountain Storm" Colored Pencil It’s an early winter morning and a mountain storm is funneled by a string of ghostly peaks into a remote river valley. It’s the first big tempest of the season so it won’t be long before the view vanishes behind a squall of heavy snow. Trickling through a maze of wine-colored willow-brush, the lazy river is oblivious to the deteriorating weather conditions. The black shrubs anchor the foreground into place and bookend the wide value range this landscape displays. Illuminated in a murky ambiance, this vista is characterized by soft edges and subtle gradations, requiring a soft touch to reproduce. More realistic than my recent pieces, this drawing still retains a certain romanticism with life in the West.

Dead Horse Point, Utah Soaring above the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point is a photographers paradise featuring sublime subject matter. While hiking along the rim’s irregular contour during the evening, the violet shadows shift restlessly across the staggered buttes. The day’s last sunlight is filtered through a veil of thin clouds, creating dramatic conditions that are infused into the intricate pattern of wild escarpments. The vast expanse weaves luminance, color and form into a bountiful vista of visual delight, overloading the senses. Deeper into dusk, things become more simple and obscure as the distinct shapes lose their edges and melt into a blue atmosphere. I’m not exactly sure how this place got its startling name but I do know that while occupying a remote overlook on the point, it feels like your standing at the edge of the world. A photographer's paradise Violet shadows Wild escarpments Last light Bountiful vista Visual delight A blue atm...