River and Mountain — Pastel on Paper, 12 × 16 inches -Sold

Every now and then I come across one of my dad’s pastels that feels like a whole place compressed into a single moment, and River and Mountain is one of those. The contrast between the deep shadowed ridge and the bright, almost glowing field pulls you straight into the scene.

He has a way of letting color do the storytelling — the cool blues settling into the river, the warm greens lifting the light forward, and that dark slope anchoring everything behind it. Nothing here is overworked. It’s all about suggestion, gesture, and trusting the eye to finish the thought.

As I’m working through the archive, pieces like this remind me how he can take familiar subjects and still find a fresh way to see them.

— Todd