New work: River Valley

Now that the kids are back in school, I've been able to work in 2 to 3 hour stints without much interruption. That is, until our mischievous kitty attacks a house plant, gnaws on Playmobil, terrorizes our other cat, or claws the grasscloth wallpaper.  This week, I worked on an 11 x 14 painting called River Valley.  The inspiration for my new piece comes from the beautiful Hoh Rain Forest, which is part of Washington State's Olympic National Park. 

Being one of the wettest places in the U.S., the Hoh Rain Forest is home to giant spruce trees and moss-laden maple trees.  Some of the trees grow to 200 - 300 feet in height!  Just as mesmerizing as the surrounding old-growth forest is the grayish-blue Hoh River.  The color is a result of glaciers on Mount Olympus grinding rock into powder.  Gray may seem like a drab color, but it's quite stunning with emerald mountains in the background. 

In my painting,  you may have noticed some chevrons on tree trunks.  I wanted to reference the rich Native American history in this region as well as spotlight the ancient trees.  More images and details of my latest work can be found here.  Earlier in the week, I posted a work in progress photo on twitter.  I plan to upload more of these kinds of shots on twitter.  I also joined Instagram if you want to follow me there.