On our drive from Durango to Aspen, Colorado, as we rounded the last switchback near the summit north of Durango, we were greeted by these brilliant orange aspen trees and awestruck by their rare, unusual coloring. With the sun shining intensely, the contrast between the vibrant tangerine foliage, the cobalt blue sky, and the pristine white snow was absolutely breathtaking.
My husband and I absolutely love the scenery in Colorado, so we planned our trip to see the aspens turning color in September, and that just happened to coincide with their earliest snowfall on record! In order to capture both the beautiful foliage and the snow before it melted we hiked as quickly as we could up the mountain, and were rewarded with a gorgeous view. I chose this vantage because I liked how the aspen trees perfectly framed the mill and stream in the distance. Then, the sun emerged and made everything sparkle. The colors came alive and dramatic cool shadows were cast in the snow, and I just had to create the scene in paint.
Painted with extremely thick oil paint & palette knife, I love how these sunflowers leap off the canvas and are filled with energy.
Whenever I can actually wake up by dawn, I am always inspired by the magical light that casts its glow across the horizon and am rewarded by the peacefulness before society starts stirring. In Daybreak, I wanted to capture that magical morning light and the quiet mysterious mood created from the sun’s rays peeking through the trees, casting their long dramatic shadows and softening the distant landscape.
Recently sold to new collectors in Dallas! In “Skyward Bound,” I wanted you to feel like a little kid again looking up into the treetops, enjoying the beautiful sky and colors above. We forget to do that as adults – we’re so focused on straight ahead! Choosing vivid reds, yellows, blues and greens in addition to the perspective of the aspen trees and autumn forest from below adds to that playful mood.
I just sold this painting to a collector in Chicago and it’s one of my favorites. A few years back, I visited Colorado to be inspired by the aspens turning color and to see the gorgeous mountains and scenery. I love it there! My husband and I ventured off the main roads and were exploring back in ranch land where there were hardly any signs of city life. At a couple of points, we even had to wait for the ranchers to round up their cattle herds out of the middle of the roads in order for us to drive in deeper – not something we witness in Dallas!
I wanted to capture that feeling of nostalgia in “Mountain Hideaway.” I particularly liked this one ranch – their barn and wood post fence had so much character. I liked how the mountains surrounded the property and created such a beautiful backdrop. The panorama format really worked well to give you a sense of scale and the sprawling landscape. I liked how the road zigged and zagged next to the property, too, leading you back to the house. Also, it was just slightly overcast and the sun would peak out once in a while, creating this beautiful dramatic lighting that I had to capture.