Gold Trees in Blue Riverbank

Acrylic on canvas with gallery wrap, 20″ x 20″
In early autumn, the Merced River runs low at the outer edge of Yosemite, and the rocks and sandy edges of the riverbank are exposed. Trees grow sporadically along the fresh, fertile embankment. Their fall colors feel warm and brilliant against the cool shadows of the hills. This painting depicts an area midway between El Portal and the Park boundary. The deep blues contrast the metallic gold and orange for visual drama and the abstract, geometric pattern in the background echoes that tension.