When I lived in Colorado, I often drove along the spine of the Rockies on back roads, camping along the way. On one of those trips, off on a trail that led nowhere, I stumbled across a stand of the largest aspens I've ever seen. Some were huge: over 3 feet in diameter, a good size for any tree at that altitude. Entranced, I stayed there for several days, hiking, drawing, taking photos, and feeling suspended in time. Not even planes flew over. Recently, I found the photos I had taken (the sketchbook, of mostly botanical drawings, is long lost). One of them became the reference for this small painting of sunlight filtering through onto the massive trunks just feet from my tent.
Soft pastel on indigo Tiziano, pumice ground14x18.5 cm (5.5x7.25 in.)
