The French Quarter The French Quarter in New Orleans is chaotic, dirty, dark, decadent, debased, lurid, raucous, salacious, shocking, unrestrained and wild, and I love it. The old market is a potent potpourri of people, sights, sounds and smells that overload your senses in a way you’ve never experienced before. A modest family man, I […]
“Prairie Solstice” Colored Pencil Rising starkly above a sea of dried prairie grass, a pair of megalithic landmarks are backlit by the setting sun. It’s the first day of summer so on this special day the solar disk splits the giant rocks, flooding the atmosphere with yellow light. A long, dark shadow is unfurled across […]
The ranch It’s a smoky dusk in western Nebraska and as the spectral light begins to dissipate, the checklist of laborious chores comes to completion. Life on the ranch is hard as illustrated by battered grain bins and ragged hay bales but at least it’s not winter when the weather is brutal. The rhythm of […]
Picturesque Polar Bear While taking animal pictures down in the city during the early fall, it was a delightful day at the Denver Zoo. In the cool weather and clear light the animals appeared active and contented, inspiring our creativity. Sometimes it’s difficult to look at creatures confined to cages but during our five hour […]
Mills Lake, Colorado “In years to come when I am asleep beneath the pines, thousands of families will find rest and hope in this park.” ~ Enos Mills Enos Mills was a distinguished author, photographer, nature guide, lecturer and adventurer, but he was probably best known as the “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park.” He […]
Elk in the Meadow It’s a crisp spring evening and a modest herd of scraggly elk has emerged from the woodland to forage in the meadow. The sun’s rays are strained through a thin veil of clouds creating a milky haze that softens sharp edges. The wild animals are scattered across the hillside, their dark […]
“Red Mountain Range” Colored Pencil The Red Mountain Range sweeps southward across desolate ranch land where a barren tree sets the scale. It’s sunrise and the blue light has been scattered so crimson is the only color permeating the all-powerful peaks. The snow-covered summits are still mostly in shade but the first highlights melt into […]
Snowstorm at Stagecoach Park After months of record breaking snowfall during March and April, the cold streak continues into the middle of May. The frigid beauty revealed in the aftermath of a freak snowstorm betrays the dreary weather experienced this spring. As usual dawn is shrouded in mist and you can see your own breath […]
Winter Storm Gage Right at the start of another decade, a named storm descended onto the foothills, dumping heavy amounts of more snowfall. Winter Storm Gage cruised down through the corridor, eliminating any hint of color while leaving behind a landscape converted to gray. Trudging up a steep hill was a struggle but I did […]
“Portrait of Lukas” Colored Pencil Emerging from a violet void, the Portrait of Lukas is carefully rendered with flecks of unblemished gold. The intentionally soft shading reflects the gentle temperament of an innocent soul. Invoking interest in this idyllic representation of adolescence is the tension created by contrasting the precise modeling of the face with […]
The human heart is a mystery “When we understand every single secret of the universe, there will still be left the eternal mystery of the human heart.” ~ Stephen Fry Ancient Greek philosophers identified the human heart as the primary spiritual feature and most important organ of the human body. It was the source of […]
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, […]
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Harpers Ferry, West Virginia is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Established in 1763, the town was a vital hub situated at the epicenter of American History concerning transportation, industry, slavery and the Civil War. Thomas Jefferson visited the area in 1783 […]
“The Great Blue” Colored Pencil It’s late summer in the foothills and a great blue heron is hunting quietly along the shoreline of Evergreen Lake. The chaos generated by the passing storm from just minutes ago has receded and a peaceful calm has overtaken the watery habitat. The bird’s image is mirrored on the surface […]