Impression Evergreen

"Desert Gateway" Colored Pencil Offering sanctuary from the furnace of sweltering heat, a chain of blue mountains streaks across the background of a fiery landscape. The desolate environment is stark, harsh and lonely. Despite its beauty, the desert is a brutal place that can bring your demise at any moment. Not only is the severe climate and rugged terrain a problem but a sudden snake bite can be deadly. The wide open space is broken by terraces of escarpment that appear more red as they recede. Applied with precision, smooth gradations mask the rugged nature of this rocky netherworld. The bleached shelf in the foreground is bathed in a bright yellow made even more vibrant by the violet shadows. Yet, the most shocking aspect is the shimmering sulphur sky that results from a mid-summer sun. This non-naturalistic expression is not designed to display superficial accuracy. The arid plateau is too straightforward to tether with complicated details so a more symbolic appr

Arches National Park Arches National Park is one of the most fascinating places on earth and exceedingly more spectacular than I had imagined. Upon ascending to the top of a high plateau, a gateway of rock towers welcomes you to a world of canyons, cliffs, valleys, mountains, gardens, caves, pinnacles, spires, hoodoos and arches. The diversity of scenery is staggering as the rugged terrain seems to transform at every turn. Discovering the Delicate Arch takes you off the main road but a grueling hike up to its secluded location is well worth the effort. From the rim of a lofty overlook, a fiery furnace of red crags has consolidated on a ridge, creating a sandy terrace of inhospitable textures. At the far, northern end of the park, there is a forbidding yet intriguing zone of arches known as The Devils Garden. An area called The Garden of Eden is an unbelievable section of formations that will take your breath away. With names like Balanced Rock, Window Arch, Turret Arch, Double Ar

"Red Pyramid" Colored Pencil Constructed miraculously by the powerful forces of nature, the Red Pyramid is an extraordinary edifice rising above a remote, desert plateau. The sacred structure embodies magnificence as its eternal grandeur has survived the flow of immeasurable time. A symbol of rural culture, the perfectly shaped monolith is a meaningful monument venerated by the region’s local inhabitants. Majestic and complex, the mysterious peak is a unique source of intellectual and social power. Steeped in divine superstition, the supernatural landscape is inextricably linked with the celestial. Echoing dignity and inspiring awe, the spiritual summit is a magical place to worship the unreachable mountain gods.

"Canyon of Fire" Colored Pencil It’s summer on the desert plateau and an acid-green river slices through a blazing gorge. The ecosystem is an unbearable furnace where frustrated flora somehow survives the fierce environment. A sweeping arrangement of enigmatic shapes is smudged into the picture’s foreground. The intentional smear inspires experimental effects that become contagious to the rest of the composition. A garish-yellow sky radiates sour light that flashes through the infernal chasm. The sulfur peaks in the distance are softened by a subtle wash of smoky-violet haze. Engraved into sandstone, the Canyon of Fire can only be conjured by a violent color fusion of ochre, mineral and tuscan. The Devil’s Abode dares the visitor to venture ever deeper into dangerous territory. This rugged Ravine of No Return is riddled with a hostile array of yucca, cholla and prickly pear. Trapped in a boiling abyss of vertical walls, a steep slide of saffron offers a glimmer of hope

Roxborough State Park Situated at a geological flash point where the prairie meets the mountains, Roxborough State Park is a study in contrast between shapes, textures and colors. Sharing space in this rare environment, smooth, angular, red rocks shoot skyward from out of a bed of broken, nebulous, green scrub-brush. The spectacular esplanade is positioned below the Front Range on a narrow plateau overlooking the South Platte River wetlands. A long string of jagged peaks recedes into the distance and fuses with a solid plate of brilliant, blue sky. During the summer, sweltering heat is stifled by a taut breeze that gusts through a labyrinth of dense woodland, open meadows and vermillion spires. The isolated Eden is unpopulated by human presence and it is mostly deserted except for a plethora of butterflies, a few deer and a pair of hawks circling overhead. The highlight of the preserve is a deep chasm named Fountain Valley where the inspiring views from an overlook are expansive. Once

Beaver Brook Canyon Beaver Brook is a lovely, little stream flowing through a deep gorge gouged out of the forested foothills. A trail to the water follows a series of dark and steamy switchbacks descending the north wall. On the way down, pockets of lush wildflowers grow discretely in the dark shadows. At the bottom, where the sun doesn’t shine, a broken trail criss-crosses the cold brook by way of several wooden bridges. Flickering through the dense foliage, the fleeting light is fractured by summer leaves and brush. Like a beast’s lair, the confusion caused by several caves, caverns and rockfalls forms an imposing impediment. Somehow, the stubborn creek continues to carve its way through the ancient chasm of chaos. Nothing stops its relentless course as a number of nice waterfalls slices through the entanglement of natural debris. Ascending out of the deep rock well is a chore but slow and steady is the best way to climb the steep stairway back to the rim. It’s not long