Autumn Aspen Climb

Aspen trees are a symbol of the mountain west in America; these beautiful pioneer trees form massive groves across middle elevations and cooler climates. The root systems can live for centuries, and they turn a distinctive golden color in the fall. Aspens are also rather challenging to paint. Their bright golden leaves risk disappearing against the sky, hence the need for strong blues and darker mountains, and the pale bark of the trees offers little contrast against the yellow foliage. Finally, the bark patterns are distinctive and the technically white bark really reflects colors around it and should never be painted stark white. In all, they are beautiful, symbolic, and tough trees to paint well; I hope this painting has captured their majesty accurately.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Trail Ridge Road Aspens in Fall

As part of the solar eclipse trip I went on back in August, our tour group also got to spend a day in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was an amazing experience, particularly since I had never really seen large mountains before. As we rode the tour bus up Trail Ridge Road, aspen trees were everywhere at the middle elevations. Higher up, they faded away and were replaced with an ever-shrinking evergreen forest, which finally turned to tundra at the treeline. Here, we see the aspen groves, growing in little clumps as they do, in fall.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17" (framed)