Impression Evergreen

"Shadow Burst" Colored Pencil It’s a bitterly cold, late-afternoon in the Front Range foothills where Evergreen Lake is completely covered by a glossy layer of fresh snow. The low, southern sun is clear and bright while illuminating the hushed landscape. A dense pine forest is a dark rampart that deflects the fleeting light and contributes to the startling effect of elongated shadows bursting across the pond’s pristine surface. It’s another example of Nature’s ability to spontaneously create an abstract design. The towering tree in front is backlit but its form is modeled by paler passages of snow that cling to limber branches. Subtle variations of dark green describe the heart of the coniferous sentry while slight tinges of yellow bleed through its transparent edges. The background is composed by tiers of soft mountains whose jeweled coloring shifts from true green through turquoise and into cobalt blue. The sky is an inverted reflection of the reservoir as tufts of white cl...

"Red Mountain Range" Colored Pencil The Red Mountain Range sweeps southward across desolate ranch land where a barren tree sets the scale. It’s sunrise and the blue light has been scattered so crimson is the only color permeating the all-powerful peaks. The snow-covered summits are still mostly in shade but the first highlights melt into a sun-bleached sky.  The rugged chain is architectural in form as the violet shadows delineate the exciting shapes. The remarkable geometry is drawn into the bottom lands where the snowy pastures are divided by horizontal bands of ochre agriculture. The dark foreground is a rough-hewn hedge of tall grass and sagebrush. Visiting this site has inspired an artistic experiment about how best to express the transcendent nature of these mystical mountains. The series has come to an end but I’m not sure a satisfying conclusion has been achieved so further investigation may be required in the future.

"Blue Bergen Peak" Colored Pencil Below a blue Bergen Peak, the late winter landscape is a clash of complementary colors, changing seasons and converging perspectives. The spirited mood is heightened by stylized shapes, gradual shading and the application of dense pigment. Burning under a bright sun, the fiery field in the foreground blazes across the picture plane from crimson red to Spanish orange. The confusion of excessive detail has succumbed to a smooth gradient of analogous colors. A stubborn remnant from a recent storm, a drift of deep snow lingers in the shadows of a troublesome gulch. Patches of still more snow are scattered across the vermillion grassland that recedes into the distance. A remarkable pine tree explodes into the composition from the right, dwarfing the other elements during its desperate call for attention. It’s vibrant foliage is an organic swirl of light and shadow that is splayed out into the air. The sky is broken into two tiers of differ...

"White Bergen Peak" Colored Pencil It is daybreak after a big storm and a white Bergen Peak is like an apparition rising out of an undulating field. Blanketed by fresh snow, the mountain’s bulky form is defined by sharp, gray shadows. A dormant grove of ochre aspen clings to the pale behemoth’s lower slope while dark trees dot the valley floor in the distance. A receding ridge line is set at an angle as it cuts through the middle of such spectacular scenery. Cast as the center of interest, a ponderosa pine creates a striking profile against a backdrop of open air. It’s curving, crimson trunk is topped by a bright green canopy whose beautiful blue shadows melt into the heavens. As the moisture dissipates, an ominous, cobalt-colored sky gradually gives way to sparkling cerulean. A flood of warm sunlight sets the grassland on fire as interlocking shapes of red, yellow and orange sweep across the foreground. The barrage of bad weather is just beginning so it won’t be...

Swainson's Hawk Soaring majestically on summer thermals, the Swainson’s Hawk is a graceful buteo of the Great Plains. It gets its name from an early 19th century illustrator of natural history, Englishman William Swainson. Found mostly east of the Continental Divide, the species’ light phase is quite elegant. This narrow-winged hawk has dark flight feathers, white underwings and belly, a finely barred tail and a handsome rufous bib. Once a mated pair finds a site near the top of a solitary tree, they build a large stick nest and aggressively defend their isolated home. They feed the chicks a steady diet of rodents, rabbits and reptiles. When not in breeding season they voraciously eat a large amount of insects. They devour so many that in some rural regions of North America they are referred to as a grasshopper hawk or a locust hawk. The most remarkable behavior displayed by this amazing raptor is the astonishing, yearly migration to Argentina. In late summer they floc...

Evergreen Mountain Summit It’s an early-summer morning at the summit of Evergreen Mountain and the thin air is clear and crisp. The strokes of pure color brushed loosely onto the page are confined by the black ink that traces the mountain landscape. The yellow foreground is a jumble of rocks and tundra, gleaming gold in the bright sunlight. Clinging to the treacherous top, a limber pine is a textured tree with needled branches that splay into the brilliant, blue sky. Across the valley below, Mount Evans Wilderness recedes into the distance through layers of pale green. Strung out across the skyline, a row of mighty peaks are still shimmering white with tons of packed snow. Currently steeped in the depths of a dark-blue season, only our memories can summon the warmth of those sweet, summer days. With each new dawn, the light is lasting just a little bit longer offering hope that soon we’ll be enjoying nature moments just like this.

"Fillius Ridge" Colored Pencil It’s a cold, winter evening in Evergreen, Colorado as Fillius Ridge remains awash in warm sunlight. The subtle row of background brush appears more gold than green. We get most of our snow in the Spring but even now there’s a fair amount drifted into the shadow areas. Patches of ochre and orange grass enliven the inviting foreground. Olive-colored rocks are strewn across the summit creating an aggregation of sharp contrast. A few trees are dark silhouettes that form a perfect foil for the main subject. Curving gracefully into the cerulean sky, the red pine is a fantastically-shaped organism. It’s greenery is a smooth gradient of color, ranging from yellow to indigo. Hiking to the top on this day has taught me a certain truth - the February landscape doesn’t always have to be a dreary subject described by grays and blues.

Courthouse and Jail Rocks On a wintry morning in western Nebraska, I wandered around Courthouse and Jail Rocks, photographing the countryside in bad weather. The megaliths were like ghosts of the Great Plains as they were barely visible during an extreme whiteout. It was no easy task trudging through a foot of deep snow but any type of moisture is a blessing for the parched prairie. The blizzard could only be truthfully documented in black and white because there wasn’t even the slightest hint of color. During a cautious approach across the bleak landscape, the formation was a gray apparition that flickered in and out of view. Just as resilient as the first settlers, a solitary tree was somehow still standing fast in the face of fierce, northerly winds. The return to the roadside was a gloomy venture provoked by bitter cold. Along the way, a cheerful robin singing in the tangled brush was a surprising ray of hope that brightened the dreary day - spring may actually be closer...

Northport, Nebraska On a warm, summer evening in western Nebraska, Northport is a wonderful relic set in an infinite prairie of yellow grass. Still standing in a secluded pasture, the abandoned little-house seems like an idyllic place. As the setting sun drenches the landscape with golden light, a rickety windmill still works but the rest of the neglected grounds is in ruins. A rare spectacle in the vast sandhills, the big tree looks to be in vigorous shape. Erected by spirited pioneers so many years ago, the ramshackle homestead is a cordial reminder of glorious days gone by. As another one comes to an end, so perfect is this peaceable kingdom that it must be a dream.

"Elk Ridge Evergreen" Colored Pencil “Through art we can change the world.” ~ #twitterartexhibit It’s the morning after an early-winter storm and Evergreen’s Elk Ridge is dusted with a layer of fresh snow. Gloomy clouds have passed so the clear sky forms a bright-blue background. The far foothills are expressed with graduated tones of cool gray that blend into the distance. Sparkling under a radiant sun, a row of silvery spruce is stretched along the steep hillside. Up front, the dark pine is a rigid focal point that carries weight into the corner. Cast by the red tree, intricate shadows form an abstract pattern that’s spread across the snowy surface. It’s fascinating how an idea born in the brain is nurtured in the heart and transmitted through an eager arm, resulting in an expressive piece of art that’s completely handmade. Elk Ridge Evergreen is my contribution to the upcoming Twitter Art Exhibit: NYC . This unique event is an international exhibition of or...

"Yellow Pine" Colored Pencil It’s another gray day in Evergreen as the entire landscape is shrouded in an eerie mist. Stationed at the forest’s perimeter, a yellow pine is a sturdy sentinel standing watch over Elk Meadow. The tree’s transparent bough allows flecks of the orange field to stream through. Edges become softer and the colors less saturated as grayish hills are stair-stepped into the background like paper-cut silhouettes. Gnarled branches twist and turn, creating an intricate web of limber, red wood. Writhing towards a lemon sky, the spirited lookout is a living, breathing organism with a personality all its own. The foothills are a fascinating mix of plants, trees and animals, each depending on the other to survive. Though engulfed by a sea of ochre grasses, the ponderosa pine is perfectly suited to life on golden ground. Resilient in the face of fierce winds and heavy snow, the fearless straggler is an essential part of the alpine setting. It’s an un...

Land of the Dead Tree Off we went On an ordinary hike Heard the woeful coo of a mourning dove. High on the ridge The sound resonated in our hearts And raised us up nine thousand feet above. To the Land of the Dead Tree Our journey began at the Old Cabin Crossing, a neglected remnant of days gone by. We continued on a lonely path through mysterious Dark Forest all the way up to Windy Saddle. From there we traversed prickly Cactus Pass and climbed onto Flattop Rocks. Racing daybreak, we dashed under Sunshine Arch into a high mountain meadow. There it was... The Land of the Dead Tree. Just in time, golden grasses were flickering in the morning light. Blue Volcanoes appeared hazily in the east and Bergen Peak was a stoic sentinel to the south. The Western White Mountains of the Great Divide were a spectacle. We soaked in the sun but on the shortest day of the year, rays began to vanish. As the afternoon faded into evening, we had to say goodbye. Because as you...

Pygmy Nuthatch The pygmy nuthatch is an energetic, little songbird that lives in old, ponderosa pine tree forests. They twitter about the trunks and branches searching beneath the bark and in needle clusters for insects and seeds. Sometimes they even creep along the tree upside down just like the bigger nuthatches. Pygmy nuthatches are also highly social, they travel in large, noisy groups that often mix with chickadees and juncos. They roost communally in the cavities of dead conifer snags. On cold, winter nights as many as 100 birds have been seen huddled together in a single nest. In an unexpected pop culture reference, the pygmy nuthatch plays a key role in the ending of the Charlie's Angels movie. Cameron Diaz's character, Natalie, discovers the location of the evil villains' secret fortress by identifying the distinctive call of a pygmy nuthatch.

Dark-eyed Junco A dark-eyed junco is perched on an evergreen branch during a spring snowstorm. A year-round resident in Colorado, they are also sometimes called snowbirds because of their sudden, histrionic appearance below winter bird feeders. When it gets really cold, we see them mixed in with other small, seed-eating birds such as chickadees and nuthatches. Dark-eyed juncos are uncommon sparrows because they spend so much time on the ground. They nest on the forest floor and hop around the bases of trees and shrubs searching for fallen seeds. When flushed, their distinctive, bright-white tail feathers are flashed during takeoff. Juncos also have a unique call that is described by a Mrs. Lawrence in a note to famous ornithologist Arthur Cleveland Bent: "The lovely tinkling chorus by the juncos in early spring, as if a myriad of woodland sprites were shaking little bells in an intensive competition."

"Abert's Squirrel" Colored Pencil Exhibiting no fear of heights, an Abert's Squirrel is perched on a limb high above the forest floor. It's a warm spring morning and the cautious squirrel needs to collect pinecones for an early breakfast. The large, bushy tail and long ear tufts are the distinctive features of this endearing creature. Compared to the rowdy, little red squirrel, who thinks it owns the forest, the Abert's is quite charming. A story about the simple life of a squirrel may seem tedious but we can learn much from its interesting and complex partnership with the ponderosa pine tree. Also known as the tassel-eared squirrel, it is strictly confined to ponderosa pine forests. The tree provides not only a home but also most of its diet. In exchange for food and shelter, the squirrel spreads fungal spores around the tree that are beneficial to the pine's health. The squirrel has to manage its fragile resource wisely because if the exploitati...

"Stellars Jay" Colored Pencil Perched in a conifer forest at 8,200 feet, a solitary Stellar's Jay contemplates its familiar surroundings. Unassuming and reticent near home, this intelligent bird takes on a much different public persona. When on the search for food it reveals itself by squawking boisterously. Now bold and confident, the Stellar's Jay will bully the smaller birds away from its favorite feeding areas. This bird can become one of the forest's more raucous, year-round residents. When hiking, I've often found myself on the receiving  end of an unprovoked scolding. A striking appearance reflects the Stellar's Jay's obnoxious behavior. Its blue plumage is accented by dark bars of color, creating an interesting pattern on its wings and tail. A large, unkempt crest of feathers adorns the bird's head. From this distinct crest a beautiful gradient of dark Indigo Black blends down through the head and chest into the True Blue coloring of...