Stephen Quiller

2008 Nicholas Reale Memorial Award- American Watercolor Society

 My studio is located some 50 yards upstream from our home. We are at 9000 ft.
elevation in southern Coloradoʼs San Juan Mountains, headwaters of the Rio Grande
River. One February evening I stepped out my studio on the path to the house. I
became aware that the night sky was alive and the stars radiating energy. The cool,
dark mountain patterns had a magenta undertone in the shadows. Also there was a
warm yellow-orange window light coming from the lone cabin across the road. I loved
the way the black cabinʼs shape was lost in the surrounding tree patterns. When I
reached the house I did some sketches and wrote down some thoughts. The next day I
did color and compositional studies and then began this painting.