Dreaming of sunny skies, laying on a blanket on the beach with a good book, and the cathartic sound of the ocean lapping against the shore.
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.