Backstory:
I had the privilege of hiking in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia, Canada, a few years ago.  The Aspy trail hike was intense. I was questioning my life's choices. What kept me going was my husband. I'm sure he was as tired as I was,  but he doesn't give up on a hike. I'm glad I listened to him.  The view from the top of the mountain was breathtaking. The word breathtaking does not do it justice. We had a simple peanut butter sandwich and headed back down and went on to hike 27 kilometers that day. 
The scene stayed with me. It still stays with me, which is why I had to paint it.
I painted it with all the intensity of a tough hike rewarded by the most amazing view of fall colors I have even seen in my life. 
About the Painting:
This painting is a powerful and intensely vibrant exploration of the landscape tradition, filtered through the energetic lens of Post-Impressionism and Fauvism. It immediately captures attention through its highly saturated, bold color palette, featuring deep reds, oranges, purples, and electric yellows that create a feeling of intense, almost hyper-real light, evoking the fiery essence of autumn.
​The dynamic energy of the piece is driven by the application of the broken-color technique. Thick, individual strokes of unblended paint are laid across the middle ground, breaking down the distant foliage into a rhythmic, vibrating tapestry. This rich, pulsating texture contrasts sharply with the longer, cooler strokes used to define the pine trees in the foreground. These detailed, structural trees effectively anchor the composition, providing a sense of scale and immediacy.
​The high horizon line emphasizes the sheer scale and density of the woodland mass, immersing the viewer directly into the scene. 
By masterfully contrasting the cool, defined greens of the foreground with the chaotic, warm vitality of the background, the work achieves a remarkable spatial depth while celebrating the raw, expressive power of color. This is a highly memorable and stimulating interpretation of the wilderness, showcasing a dynamic balance between abstraction and representation.