Impression Evergreen

"Portrait of Lukas" Colored Pencil Emerging from a violet void, the Portrait of Lukas is carefully rendered with flecks of unblemished gold. The intentionally soft shading reflects the gentle temperament of an innocent soul. Invoking interest in this idyllic representation of adolescence is the tension created by contrasting the precise modeling of the face with the flattened grid pattern defining the much simplified shirt. The deep, blue-violet background forms a strong complement with the child’s pale, yellow-orange complexion. The sparkling tones expressing the naive character of someone so full of life. Influenced by his avocations, the heavy-handed line work, disentangled hair and detailed eyes is Anime inspired. A callow presence during disarray - like a kite in a hurricane or a ray of sunshine during a storm.

"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.

"Loveland Pass Lakes" Colored Pencil "Nothing is less real than realism. Details are confusing. It is only by selection, by elimination, by emphasis, that we get at the real meaning of things." ~ Georgia O'Keeffe Situated above timberline, a pair of high mountain tarns are pure blue under a late-summer sun. Known as Loveland Pass Lakes, the shimmering jewels are set just below the Continental Divide. Looming majestically in the background, a ring of rugged peaks encloses the isolated valley. Dark patches of far away forest cling to the steep mountainside and fade away as they reach ever higher. The rolling hills of rough terrain around the reservoirs are covered with rows of pine that follow closely the contour of the land. The water is calm, clear and cold with the larger lake reflecting trees in its upper left corner. Sweeping across the foreground, tundra grasses are ablaze in fiery colors. Conveying the sure sign that seasons are changing, an as

"Curious Red Fox" Colored Pencil A red fox emerges from the lush undergrowth of a dark forest, watching quietly from atop a granite platform. A keen observer of the world around him, this resourceful creature has earned a legendary reputation for intelligence and cunning. The fox is nimble afoot and has remarkable paws built for rough terrain while his black stockings blend impossibly into the vermillion coat. More orange than red, he moves easily through the thick brush and across a rockfall of strewn boulders. Cropped out of the picture, the bushy brown tail lends some balance to the agile critter as well as to the composition. The textured, pine tree trunk is pushed into the background because of its low contrast, enclosing the scene. The depiction is awash in morning light as limber ferns cast a pattern of peculiar shadows across the interior space. This resurrected drawing was freshened up with layers of rich color and completed with cautious realism. The de

Self-Portrait with Rita Recently, Evergreen Fine Art Gallery held an exhibit of work by American artist Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975). The outstanding collection consisted of sketches, studies, lithographs and small paintings. I’ve seen many of his more polished pieces hanging on museum walls in Missouri but the artwork shown in Colorado was more intimate. Here on paper, the artist’s search for a subject’s form was clearly evident. Born in Neosho, Missouri to a family of politicians, Thomas Hart Benton chose painting as his profession. Benton began studying at the Chicago Art Institute and continued his training in Paris where he met some of the leading artists of the day. After a stint in the Navy serving as an illustrator during World War I, Benton set up shop in New York City. His early paintings were influenced by the avant-garde but seem uncertain and confused. Benton eventually embraced his natural style and became inspired by the music, folk tales and working class

"Monument Canyon" Colored Pencil Out in western Colorado, the pinon-covered plateau is sliced by a peculiar gorge that appears more alien than Mars. Under a searing, summer sun, Monument Canyon is an inconceivable gateway to the Great American Desert but this sweeping panorama isn't make-believe. Like some garden of unearthly delights, chiseled sandstone pinnacles tower above a devil's den of arid habitat. The dazzling landscape is distinguished by sharp contrasts in value and color. In order to express the oppressive heat, a palette of warm tones is required. Beaming down from above, a radiant light polishes the red rocks with bleached highlights and dark shadows. Below, colors clash on the canyon floor where passages of green brush speckle the scorched earth. Behind, a hazy shelf of Book Cliffs becomes blueish-gray. The piece is meant to be an accurate representation of the view from an outstanding overlook along Rim Rock Drive. So if it seems like a stud