"Western Slope Winter" Colored Pencil

It seems like there’s always more snow on the other side of the Great Divide especially in the bottom of the Blue River Valley. During January deep drifts occur in the long shadows of giant peaks.

Bad weather usually wreaks havoc at night but often breaks just before daylight. A clear sky in the morning means transparent light with a sun glare that stings the eyes and a frigid temperature that burns the skin.

In this snowscape, a jagged range exhibits sharp features while thin clouds whisk across a pale sky. The forest’s edge is a conglomeration of strange shapes creating a wind break separating the white slopes from the arctic plain.

The sparkling hues are a phenomenon that can only be seen in the mountains the morning after a storm. The pointillistic image is like a mirage broken by bits of pure color that, from a distance, fuse in the viewer’s eyes.

Even in winter, the foreground of brush, twigs and branches is described with predominantly warm tones. It’s the dawn of not only an unspoiled day but the thoughtful unveiling of a pristine new year.