This is a small painting of the view of the rolling mountains outside of Boulder, Colorado on an overcast day, with the slanted clouds that Charles loved in Colorado's the ever-dramatic weather. Charles lived in Boulder from 1968 until the mid-90s, and taught at the University of Colorado at Denver for over 30 years, recording Colorado's wild beauty in paintings and drawings for all of them. This particular painting is in muted colors, unusual for both Colorado's bright sun and for my father's taste: he gravitated to dramatic palettes.
Charles painted with a very free style in his landscapes: you can see each brushstroke, and sometimes he left gaps where there was no paint at all. The contrast between the opulent greens of the foliage is a lovely contrast with the stony wall and the red earth path. With impressionist paintings, it's fun to walk away and then come in close to look at the many little strokes that make up the whole. Step back again, and it gels into one cohesive and lovely scene. Magic!