Impression Evergreen

"Spirit of Winter" Colored Pencil This time of year, a never ending cycle of storms sweeps down from the mountains burying the foothills in a frozen tomb. The ice cold essence seeps into your aching bones and the chill doesn’t thaw until late spring. Despite the season’s harshness, the artist is lured into an attempt to capture the mysterious poetry evoked by such an austere landscape. In defiance of the somber setting, a palette of unexpected hues is required to accomplish the task. Interred in eternal snow, a woodland valley is hauntingly diffused with the spirit of winter. Jutting out of the ground, dark menhirs are scattered across the meadow, making the composition’s structure seem monumental. The deserted cabin is evidence of a recurring saga about the struggle between this area’s inhabitants and the environment. A phantom peak, pyramidal in shape, complements the strict geometry of the shelter. The faltering shack is gradually being reclaimed by the land so its

"Bergen Peak from Evergreen Lake" Colored Pencil A swift breeze sweeps across the surface of Evergreen Lake sending ripples through the reservoir’s vivid reflections. It’s springtime in the foothills so fresh greenery is on display but the willow brush and aspen trees are not yet in full bloom. The whole Bear Creek Valley has come back to life and Bergen Peak looms over the scene, its north face cradled by a web of branches and pine needles. The reinvigorated forest reaches to the water’s edge where a slender tree leans into the vibrant landscape. After enduring a perpetual winter of deep freeze, the vernal atmosphere raises the spirit to a higher level of longing. Like the small cloud drifting across the drawing’s page, nothing stays the same as nature seems to thrive in constant change.

"Ghost Horse" Colored Pencil Floating out of an eerie windbreak, a white apparition confronts the viewer face-to-face. It’s a piercing dawn in the Sandhills as the ghost horse haunts a prairie hacienda. The pale wraith is peaceful and harmless as it drifts through a moat of tall grass. Trying to bridle him in, a rough-hewn stockade is suggested by an irregular grid of interlocking, geometric shapes. Defined by a steel-blue shadow, the phantom’s head is the portrait of simplicity. His shaggy, winter robe is conveyed by the purest of white with touches of cool gray smudged into the shape. With the rapid rise of technology, automation and manufacturing, we creep ever closer to becoming the ultimate, urban civilization. It’s heartening to come home to western Nebraska where vast tracts of ranch land scenery can still be found, summoning the resilient spirit of the Old West.

"Golden Hawk" Colored Pencil Perched on a high throne decorated with a wreath of autumn leaves, a golden hawk gazes over a vast empire. The royal color scheme of blue and gold is applied in patches of similar value, resulting in a posterized portrait. Highlights and shadows are downplayed as the abstract contours exaggerate the drawing’s obvious two-dimensionality. The resplendent creature is static and solid suggesting a timeless permanence that symbolizes confidence, power and freedom. This piece does not portray a specific individual but it is more of a generic representation of a dazzling species that is so often overlooked. The monarch’s feathers are barely insinuated and the tail stripes are reduced to a simple pattern. The long, dark wing is devoid of detail, the ochre bib promotes a sand-colored chest and the yellow feet, equipped with sharp talons, melt into the mosaic of foliage. Cut out of a powder-blue sky, the noble profile of a bronze head is adorned

Mount Evans Wilderness Goliath Peak is a steep warmup to the withering heights encompassing the Mount Evans Wilderness. You receive a warm welcome as a carpet of colorful wildflowers is unfurled all the way to the top. Stretching out in every direction, the distant views reach farther than even your wildest imagination. To the west, ice cold water in a glacier-filled cirque is ensnared by peaks of silver stone. Even during the summer, white snow is slashed across the spectacular backdrop of surreal mountains. In the sky, milky clouds filter the sun, creating a moody atmosphere charged by the constantly changing stream of light. Unfortunately, a perfect day was damaged by a heart-fluttering event. The Herculean effort may have induced an episode of mind-numbing paralysis that luckily spared my fighting spirit and eternally grateful soul. Goliath Peak A steep warmup A warm welcome A carpet of wildflowers Distant Views Your wildest imagination

The Animas River Brought forth in a ghost town above tree line, the Animas River comes streaming down through a spirited mountain range called the San Juans. On a recent Sunday during the dead of winter, the river was running shallow and slow while sparkling blue in the morning light. Flowing solemnly through the vibrant community of Durango, el Rio de las Animas is a River of Lost Souls. The virtuous waterway is an innocent victim scarred by the legacy of Colorado's relentless mining activity. Almost two years ago the EPA was mitigating pollutants from the closed Gold King Mine near Silverton. The workers accidentally destroyed a retainment plug, unleashing 3 million gallons of toxic wastewater into Cement Creek and the Animas River. The waterway changed color almost instantly as a mustard yellow swell made its way to New Mexico and the San Juan River. The contaminants became more diluted as they moved farther downstream where some of the poison settled in the sludge at

Animas Forks, Colorado Animas Forks is a rickety ghost town teetering high in the San Juan Mountains just east of Silverton, Colorado. It used to be a bustling community during the silver boom of the late 1800s but today only the miner’s spirit permeates the cool, mountain air. Pictured above is the best preserved building, an impressive residence known as ‘the bay window house’. Broken down and beaten after enduring years of nasty weather, the resilient structure rises defiantly out of a dense thicket of green willows. I can’t imagine how people lived up here all year long, extracting precious minerals from the generous earth. There’s no debate that they enjoyed breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks but struggling to survive the harsh winters must have been absolutely brutal.

Mount Evans Wilderness Buffalo Park is a wide meadow settled beneath the magnificent Mount Evans massif. Today, there are no bison to be seen so this area is best known for its bountiful wildlife, uninterrupted alpine views and dramatic sunsets. Forged out of an expansive pine forest, the open grassland is an important oasis for horses, deer and elk. All three species are often seen peacefully grazing together below the gleaming white peaks looming in the background. Forming a nice foreground for the lovely, fall landscape, a row of silvery aspen is a precise seasonal indicator. Whiteout conditions like howling wind and frigid cold are a common occurrence as winter weather in this vast valley can be wild. Generating thunderstorms almost every afternoon, unusual cloud formations swirl across a deep-blue sky in the summer. During the spring, a pretty, little pond is concealed by willows and it’s the undisputed domain for a family of red-winged blackbirds. The park is a place

Green River, Utah The Green River is a muddy waterway that flows through the desolate desert of eastern Utah. Its steep banks are lined with lush vegetation and yellow wildflowers. Everywhere around the verdant stream, waves of dry heat rise into a steamy, blue sky. Beyond the pale cliffs, purple storm clouds promise moisture for the parched landscape. Born in Wyoming's Wind River Mountains, the Green is wide, deep and powerful. Most of its route occurs through the Colorado Plateau where it has carved some of the most spectacular canyons on earth. During Westward Expansion, most of the main emigration routes had to cross the Green at some point. Because of the river's ferocity, ferry crossings were established to enable pioneers to continue their transcontinental journey. Conquered by American Progress, the resilient river still retains much of its rugged beauty. Today, the tributary appears to be tamed but as it meanders into the remote Canyonlands, the Rio Verde