Portfolio > Into the Mountains

Hidden Mountain Reflecting the New Year
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
39" x 37"
December 2013
detail - 'Hidden Mountain in Autumn'
ink and acrylic on paper
46" x 36"
November 2013
Hidden Mountain in Autumn
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
46" x 36"
November 2013
detail - 'Hidden Mountain in December'
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
Hidden Mountain in December
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
detail - History of Hidden Mountain / Trilobite
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
43" x 37"
November 2013
History of Hidden Mountain / Trilobite
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
43" x 37"
November 2013
detail - "Hidden Mountain Reflection"
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
42" x 37"
November 2013
Hidden Mountain Reflection
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
42" x 37"
November 2013
detail -"Hidden Mountain"
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
Hidden Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
detail - "Fossil Mountain"
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
43" x 37"
November 2013
Fossil Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
43" x 37"
November 2013
detail - 'Sky-Meadow-Mountain'
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
42" x 37"
November 2013
Sky-Meadow-Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
42" x 37"
November 2013
detail - 'Fire Leaves the Mountain'
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
43" x 37"
November 2013
Fire Leaves the Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
43" x 37"
November 2013
detail - 'Fire Comes to the Mountain'
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
43" x 37"
November 2013
Fire Comes to the Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
43" x 37"
November 2013
detail - 'Mountain Lake'
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
Mountain Lake
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
detail - 'Times' Temple Mountain'
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
Time's Temple Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
detail - 'Phoenix Legend Mountain'
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
Phoenix Legend Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
detail - 'Mountain at the Sea'
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
Mountain at the Sea
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
detail - 'Copper Cup Mountain'
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
Copper Cup Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
November 2013
detail - 'Mountain Access'
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
Mountain Access
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
detail - 'Falling Heart Mountain'
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
Falling Heart Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
detail - "Ten Thousand Tread Mountain"
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
Ten Thousand Tread Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
detail - "Manzanita Mountain"
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
Manzanita Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
detail - "Pascal's Mountain"
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
Pascal's Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
detail - "Dust Mountain"
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
Dust Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
detail - "Clay Ground Mountain"
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
September 2013
Clay Ground Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
September 2013
detail - "Smokestack Mountain"
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
September 2013
Smokestack Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
September 2013
detail - "Dark Azured Moutain"
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
Dark Azured Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
detail - "Red Mountain"
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013
Red Mountain
ink, acrylic and gold foil on paper
49" x 37"
October 2013

Paintings in ink and acrylic on
49" x 39" paper - 2013

While these paintings are meant to suggest a variety of readings of 'mountains' they do represent much of the familiar associations that we have with the massive landforms that loom on the horizon or slowly reach upwards engulfing us as we get nearer. The scale and topography of the paintings are meant to be considered with these associations in mind.

Since the terrain of mountains can be gradual or steep, gentle or hostile, inviting or treacherous, a path on any mountain may be as varied as the possible readings of scale and texture in these images. Both ascent and descent have their own characteristics, purposes, and difficulties. Mountainous size often means we can only see a partial view and so hidden access in ascent or descent is a potential windfall or disaster, Hidden access could be likened to the future and even a familiar descent is more present than past.

Much in the same way that maps represent landscapes these paintings are meant to represent landscapes of maps. Maps that range across the feet and miles of mountains and mountain ranges, they are also maps that count hours and years.

Images of the three ages of Man often include mountains if only as a vista. These paintings of mountains are in part inspired by the last of the three ages of Man, that of old age. Religious influence directed many European images of old age in paintings of the three ages of Man to include a voyage of resignation that eventually ended within the mountain.

However, I would like these images to suggest all that is possible in the ascent and traversing of the mountain. Instead of depicting a final resting place these are maps of the realization of potential, the completion of work long practiced towards its eventual mastery. Not a state of perfection at the top of the peak, these paintings are rather about this last third of our lives towards foreseen and unforeseen goals and forms of accomplishment that have little to do with conquering a mountain and all to do with an appreciation, celebration and recognition of new difficulties amidst continued aspiration and accomplishment.