18″x24″ pastel on sanded paper

I spent the day on the Pikes Peak Trail today, and I brought the people in the Sammons Cancer building with me.

I was surprised how many people who walked by commented on this painting. I loved the trail stories, Colorado stories, mountain stories, and even beautiful cloud stories. I felt like we all got to travel somewhere beautiful together, through memory and imagination, if only for a moment or two.

I hiked this entire 26 mile trail with my family last summer. It was epic, especially for my youngest who is with me here in this painting. She was 8. The storm hit while we were on the summit, and we had to make a call on what to do. We tracked the storm carefully and found a window we could drop off the summit and (hopefully) make it to tree line before the next wave of electricity. This little girl proved to be a strong and calming leader. It was a strength we wouldn’t have known about with out a challenge. Sometimes hardships, although difficult, let your true colors shine.

I love to paint western clouds and landscapes. If you would like to learn to paint them with me, consider signing up for my Ghost Ranch pastel workshop.