Impression Evergreen

"Sacred Refuge" Colored Pencil The landscape is not merely something I see; it is a means of revealing an inner, spiritual reality. I begin with nature, but I do not attempt to reproduce it literally. Instead, I use the landscape as raw material for constructing a world shaped by memory, symbolism, color, and emotion. In this drawing, the sacred refuge appears set apart as a place of worship - a creation of the spirit characterized by holiness, peace, and purity of heart. My approach is influenced by Les Nabis , who understood a work of art not simply as an imitation of the visible world but as a composed surface of color, pattern, and feeling. Like them, I am interested in flattening space, intensifying color, and allowing decorative design to carry emotional and religious meaning. The example of Sérusier’s The Talisman reinforces my belief that an artist need not imitate the landscape exactly. Nature can become the starting point for a personal language of color, pattern, ...

"Theo in the Wilderness" Colored Pencil Theo is caught during a momentary respite while hiking in Utah’s rugged wilderness. Brimming with confidence and full of a youthful spirit, he eagerly answers the mountain’s call to keep climbing. It’s a long and winding trail through unforgiving terrain that leads to those spectacular white peaks. It will be an exciting adventure filled with unforgettable memories, earned experience and great peril. Influenced by Pop Art, this full-length portrait is a modern snapshot highlighting everyday life in the American West. To create interest, it combines black outlines and bold, flat color with some soft shading and distinct texture. The artist’s son is seen standing in a statuesque pose while dressed in athletic apparel and a weathered ball cap. His person is realized in a raw gesture rather than a photographic likeness. The young man’s face is distinguished by a full beard that expresses a maturity that masks his true age in years. Tall and...

"Mountain Wilderness Utah" Colored Pencil The Timpanogos Wilderness in Utah is a beautiful place to visit during the late fall because of the extraordinary range of vibrant hues. Even the darkest shadows are saturated with greens, blues and violets. The area’s rugged terrain is as varied as the landscape’s color spectrum. The giant peaks are composed of sheer rock and textured with patches of pine trees while the deep valley is a sea of dense underbrush. The scene is a study in startling contrasts because the flaming, wavy grasses are absolutely opposed to the somber, solid mountains. The peaks have a certain architectural structure whereas the field flows. This drawing is not about capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, it is searching for something more eternal and monumental. There is no aerial perspective here as the space is intentionally compressed. As the expanse of sky descends, it gradually becomes more yellow because particles from the earth below m...

"Escalante Valley - Colored Pencil Drawing" The Escalante Valley in Utah is a lonely arroyo hewn by a serpentine river that in the late fall can be easily forded in order to gain access to a labyrinth of arches, grottos and hidden glades. Unfamiliar with such a preternatural territory, it is a strange and mystical wilderness. Rising from a field of fiery grasses, the ancient rock formations tower above the desert floor, carving out a rugged skyline. The primordial beauty is enhanced by an explosion of autumn hues that can only be expressed with color from across the entire palette. The reddish buttes are sculpted from a progression of steep tiers and scarred by vertical striations. While defining the extraordinary shapes, the distinct shadows stay warm except for the deepest that trend towards purple. The desert ramparts are an exceptionally rugged borderland concealing the remote river chasm. Running along the base of the sheer walls, raw galleries preserve magnificent petro...

"Desert Gateway" Colored Pencil Offering sanctuary from the furnace of sweltering heat, a chain of blue mountains streaks across the background of a fiery landscape. The desolate environment is stark, harsh and lonely. Despite its beauty, the desert is a brutal place that can bring your demise at any moment. Not only is the severe climate and rugged terrain a problem but a sudden snake bite can be deadly. The wide open space is broken by terraces of escarpment that appear more red as they recede. Applied with precision, smooth gradations mask the rugged nature of this rocky netherworld. The bleached shelf in the foreground is bathed in a bright yellow made even more vibrant by the violet shadows. Yet, the most shocking aspect is the shimmering sulphur sky that results from a mid-summer sun. This non-naturalistic expression is not designed to display superficial accuracy. The arid plateau is too straightforward to tether with complicated details so a more symbolic appr...

Petroglyphs near Moab, Utah Near the town of Moab, Utah if you keep your eyes open, you might see rock art carved by Native Americans hundreds of years ago. The most conspicuous sites are where the symbols are carved out of dark rock panels revealing light-colored graphics. As opposed to painted Pictographs, Petroglyphs are scratched or incised into the brown, desert varnish. The abstract images are exceptionally concise but that simplicity is what evokes such a powerfully honest expression. The meaning behind these mesmerizing works is not exactly known but the artists who created them must have been revered for their magical powers. It is an extraordinary thing to be in the desert hiking through a remote arroyo and stumble upon an ancient gallery of remarkable artwork. Rock art Symbols carved out of dark rock Scratched into the desert varnish Mesmerizing works Light-colored graphics Abstract images An extraordinary thing Exceptionally concise An honest expression Remarkable artwork

Dead Horse Point, Utah Soaring above the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point is a photographers paradise featuring sublime subject matter. While hiking along the rim’s irregular contour during the evening, the violet shadows shift restlessly across the staggered buttes. The day’s last sunlight is filtered through a veil of thin clouds, creating dramatic conditions that are infused into the intricate pattern of wild escarpments. The vast expanse weaves luminance, color and form into a bountiful vista of visual delight, overloading the senses. Deeper into dusk, things become more simple and obscure as the distinct shapes lose their edges and melt into a blue atmosphere. I’m not exactly sure how this place got its startling name but I do know that while occupying a remote overlook on the point, it feels like your standing at the edge of the world. A photographer's paradise Violet shadows Wild escarpments Last light Bountiful vista Visual delight A blue atm...

Arches National Park Arches National Park is one of the most fascinating places on earth and exceedingly more spectacular than I had imagined. Upon ascending to the top of a high plateau, a gateway of rock towers welcomes you to a world of canyons, cliffs, valleys, mountains, gardens, caves, pinnacles, spires, hoodoos and arches. The diversity of scenery is staggering as the rugged terrain seems to transform at every turn. Discovering the Delicate Arch takes you off the main road but a grueling hike up to its secluded location is well worth the effort. From the rim of a lofty overlook, a fiery furnace of red crags has consolidated on a ridge, creating a sandy terrace of inhospitable textures. At the far, northern end of the park, there is a forbidding yet intriguing zone of arches known as The Devils Garden. An area called The Garden of Eden is an unbelievable section of formations that will take your breath away. With names like Balanced Rock, Window Arch, Turret Arch, Double Ar...