I have an intention to try something that I have never done before each year around the time of my birthday, in mid-summer. One of my favorite treats/experiences is a ride in a hot air balloon. I am lucky enough to have a few friends who happen to also be pilots and are happy enough to supply me with lots of photos of aerial views for my painting inspiration!

“Blue Horizon” is one of the smaller paintings in my Aerial Mountain Series. The chunky, abstract quality of the palette knife in the foreground dissolves into soft brushwork on the high horizon. While working on these paintings, I wanted to push the abstract quality even further. I intentionally used the same color palette for the abstract pieces in the Division of Light Series, making them less representational and following the pure essence of the basic contours of the mountains and ridgelines. They hang well together and make for a great series, each complimenting the other.