As an artist, I find the Rocky Mountains' vastness, ruggedness, and untouched beauty both humbling and inspiring. It was an ordinary day when I first embarked on a hike to an Alpine lake nestled within the folds of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains of Southern Colorado. Yet, when I laid my eyes on the lake's pristine beauty, it was like stepping into a painting – every element perfectly shaded, every detail intricately etched. I was irrevocably hooked.

These landscapes, where towering trees reach out to touch the azure sky and jagged rocks, stand as silent sentinels and have a treasure trove of stories to tell. Each stroke of my paintbrush on the 36"x36" canvas of "Alpine Lake" is a tribute to those stories, an attempt to capture the essence of the high country through oil paint.

For me, painting is not just a means to recreate the beauty of the mountains. It's a way to immerse myself in the surroundings and experience the joy of being in the high country, even when I am miles away. The painting process is as rhythmic as breathing, the swirls of my brush echoing the whispers of the mountain winds, the vibrancy of my colors reflecting the solace of the wilderness.

"Alpine Lake" is more than a painting; it embodies my love and memories of the mountains. Each glance at it is a walk down memory lane, a reminder of the tranquility I felt by the lakeside and the awe-inspiring spectacle of nature's grandeur. It's my homage to the Rocky Mountains that continue to captivate my senses and inspire my art.