All images are Copyright © Don Dernovich

  I can smell the pungent scent of sage brush and see running antelope leaving a trail of dust in the distance. The old, knurled, weather beaten Cottonwood, Russian Olive, Box Elder and Willow is the only green visible, indicating there is water in this arid, desert landscape. The water is of the Green River running south through south-western Wyoming on its way to the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
This wonderful stretch of river winds its way through 80 miles or so of sagebrush, large sandstone bluffs, a wildlife refuge and a couple of cattle ranches. It is mostly public BLM land available to all who wish to savor its unique qualities of fishing, hunting, looking for artifacts, fossils and petrified wood. It is land that is harsh in the winter and hot and dry with mostly windy days during the summer. It is also the land that inspires me as an artist to interpret its special unique beauty. These places aren’t the popular destinations for travelers who seem to gravitate north to the more scenic areas of Wyoming
There are many places on the Green that are back waters or side channels, creating islands in the main river. These backwaters change throughout the year from the high waters of spring to the low, almost dry conditions of low water in fall and winter. During the high water run off you will find me fishing these back waters because they are usually easier to negotiate and are full of trout. As the water subsides the fish move to the deeper flows of the main river. You will still find me there, however, only this time trying to interpret these special places in watercolor and oil.
Hopefully, those that view my attempts may take with them some of what motivated me to paint these back waters of the Green River.

GREEN RIVER BACK WATER – OIL –
30”x40”