A Step Outside
Stepping outside the truck at Wild Horse Canyon last September I entered a landscape that perfectly captured my various emotions and experiences over the previous months. The Pioneer Mountains of Idaho, east of Sun Valley, are overwhelming, stark, daunting, but not without light and beauty.
These paintings attempt to communicate my feelings of wonderment for that un-domesticated landscape. Through this process, I stepped outside my usual approach to painting—that is, I chose to leave exposed the rough edges and evidence of the painting’s struggle so as to mirror the raw scenery.
I resolved not to tame the wild, ever-changing sky and ragged sagebrush. I left behind my familiar subdued grey-blue palette of rainy weather and learned to appreciate the brooding darks and brilliant lights of this awe-inspiring place.
That day in September crystallized my feelings of fear and hope. Likewise, completing this body of work allows me to grapple with those fears and to step ahead without ever losing hope.
