"Maroon Bells from Elk Camp"

24" x 36" oil/linen

This painting portrays one of my favorite views in the Aspen/Snowmass area.  I was a resident in the area in the 1970's and 1980's and skiing was a favorite sport.  Snowmass is an expansive ski area with a varied terrain.  This scene is from the south east corner of the resort above the lift serving the Elk Camp area.  After a short climb you are able to look down the Maroon Creek Valley with the dramatic Maroon Bells in the background.  The challenge that I found in portraying this scene was the absence of a diversity of color.  The work became a study in values.  Anyone who has observed snow in light and shadow has seen a subtle spectrum of yellows, pinks, blues and lavender.  This day was a cold mid winter morning with a crystal clear sky.  While it is hard to detect from this digital image, the painting is filled with multi-colored undertones that vary from the cool colors of the shadows to the areas in direct sunlight.  An interesting contrast is found between the stronger brushwork representing the foreground ridge compared to the the looser representation of the distant views.  While the evergreen forests were straight forward to place, the denuded aspen trees were a challenge.  As it sometimes happens it was through experimentation that a solution was found.