While out in Badlands National Park, I – like so many others — stopped at all the available pullouts along the loop road Hwy 240.

On a calm, July evening, I was standing on the shoreline of a small lake in northern Wisconsin. Looking north, the evening shadows were covering the southern and western shore, while still illuminating the center of the lake and eastern shore.

When I display this image as a large Dura Plaq print within my art fair booth, it is a “show stopper”. Because it is an abstract type print, visitors either like it (and really like it) or are indifferent to it.

The alpine tundra is a very fragile environment. Notice how little topsoil and vegetation exists before the underlying stone is exposed. Simply walking across it (as one would walk across a lawn), can innocently cause years of harm

For the past two years, I have the above image displayed within my booth as a 12×18 Dura Plaq print. This image of the relatively close-up of the Ponderosa tree bark constantly commands the visitor’s attention.

The soft breeze peacefully rippled the water just enough to break the perfect glass-like reflection, yielding an almost painted-like appearance.

Just before reaching the parking lot, the hiking trail joins with a circular handicapped-accessible paved walkway, part of which contains two boardwalks. This particular boardwalk follows along the lake shore and is built over a very wet, marshy area.

“The fish from these waters contain mercury and may be harmful to eat, especially for women and children”. The impact of the words, placed front and center, are in contrast to the peacefulness of the lake in the background.

Walking along the boardwalk, I noticed a buried snow fence, deep in the dunes. (Such fencing helps stabilize the dunes). Fortunately, the shadows from the western sun didn’t yet bath the entire front of the dune in darkness.