"Dog Mountain Summit"

Original 18 x 24 oil painting "Dog Mountain Summit." 
 
Wild flowers skirt the summit of Dog Mountain, their colors intensified against dramatic storm clouds overhead. Thick, heavy palette knife strokes exaggerate the cloud formations and give depth to the fast-moving sky. In the valley below, the Columbia river rushes by, ever carving the face of the Gorge. Dog Mountain offers sweeping views of the Columbia river, and is not for the faint of heart. Whipping winds are common on the summit, accompanied by tired, weather beaten pines. It is exceptional that wild flowers survive the harsh conditions.