Pines at Red Horse
Oil on vellum paper, 11 × 14, 2026

Pines at Red Horse was painted at the Red Horse Center for Collaborative Leadership in Fennville, Michigan. The tall pines first drew me to the scene, but as I painted, the sky became equally important. I was especially interested in the tension between the strong verticality of the trees and the broad horizontal sweep of the approaching storm clouds.

That contrast created a sense of movement and energy, while the meadow below offered a quieter counterpoint. I was interested less in describing the landscape literally than in capturing the vitality of that particular moment—when an ordinary place suddenly feels charged with color, weather, and life.