Karen Lynn Link Fine Art

At first, it wasn’t the water that caught my attention. It was the relationship between the river, the trees, and the rocks.

I was traveling along South Foxton Road in Jefferson County, Colorado, when I came across this scene. In many ways, the area near the water felt like an oasis compared to the rugged terrain surrounding it. The contrast between the expansive view and the movement of the river immediately drew me in.

As I began painting, I became interested in how the river could guide the viewer through the composition. The water creates a path into the distance, while the trees and rocks bring the eye back again. I simplified the rocks, keeping only those that helped support the movement and structure of the composition. I also added more grasses around the trees because their color and texture brought more life and energy to the scene.

Color has always been an important part of my process. Colorado can sometimes appear very brown, but within those earth tones are countless subtle variations. I enjoy finding those unexpected colors and pushing them further while still keeping a connection to the place. In this painting, the warm oranges of the vegetation, the blue of the river, and the pink-purple tones of the distant mountains create color relationships that energize the scene.

At one point during the painting process, I wasn’t sure everything was coming together. I continued working, and eventually something shifted. The elements began to connect, and the problems that had been bothering me seemed to resolve. Sometimes a painting simply needs more time. Sometimes it is the artist who needs time to see it clearly.

The river that inspired this painting was full of movement. It carried the sound of rushing water, cool air, and a sense of life within an otherwise dry and rugged place. I wanted the painting to hold onto that feeling of entering a place where everything changes as you follow the water.

With “Passage”, I hope the viewer feels invited to enter the painting. I hope they can follow the river, spend time with the colors and forms, and discover their own experience there.