Exploring Emotion in Aspen and Birch Landscape Paintings

These paintings explore the natural world through an expressive, semi-abstract approach. Using colour, layered washes and ink, I aim to capture the changing atmosphere of the mountain landscape rather than attempting to reproduce it.

Developed over the last four summers of living in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, this body of work grows out of an immersion in the landscape: the aspen forests, lakes, creeks and mountains that surround me.

The paintings begin with the vertical forms of the trees, but my interest quickly moves beyond them. I am drawn to what lies between and beyond the trunks — distant landscapes, glimpses of water and sky, changing light and the shifting atmosphere of the mountains. The trees become a way of looking through the landscape rather than simply looking at it.

Working primarily with watercolour on paper, I begin by blocking in the trunks, then gradually build the paintings forwards through layers of washes. Each new work is an opportunity to experiment, responding to the colours, shapes and relationships that emerge as the painting develops. Wind, weather, changing seasons and the interactions of the natural world all find their way into the work.

No single painting represents a particular tree or specific location. Instead, each is an interpretation of a lived experience — an exploration of colour, pattern, movement and the feeling of being surrounded by nature. Although watercolour is central to the series, the work is not confined to one medium or approach.

Occasionally, birds, animals or human figures appear within these landscapes. We are all part of this world, sharing the same space and moving through it together. These small presences add another dimension to the paintings, suggesting that the landscape is not simply something to observe, but a place in which we all participate.

The work continues to evolve, with each painting opening up new possibilities for the next.

I am interested in creating work that rewards sustained looking and develops a personal relationship with the viewer over time. One that encourages you to linger and fall into the experiences evoked.