Sunrise, Grand Mesa

This painting is part of the Aspect Ratio series: 

Aspect Ratio is a series of 12x24 and 12x12 paintings that capture the rugged beauty of the American West through a contemporary lens. Inspired by my personal journeys and intimate iPhone snapshots, each work is carefully cropped to echo the modern frame while celebrating timeless landscapes. The series invites lovers of the American West to experience the frontier's vast, poetic vistas reimagined for today.

I live in western Colorado, the home of the world's largest flat topped mountain. Grand It's owned and managed by the National Forest Service. When you leave the desert valley floor and drive the winding road to the top, it's like traveling from western Colorado to Minnesota. The copses of aspens and the pines are interrupted by the most beautiful, clear lakes I've ever seen. It's paradise. My painting Sunrise, Grand Mesa shows the rising sun reflected on the Colorado River that runs through the valley below.