Capitol Peak by Lisa Martin

This design is by our second Guest Artist, the amazing Lisa Martin of Paint the Mountain. We’ll let Lisa explain her design in her own words below, but the most important — and amazing! — thing to know about this design is that it's a shrunken-down version of a HUGE 18-foot × 15-foot mural painted on a wall inside 14er Brewing at 3120 Blake Street in Denver, Colorado!

The Elk Range around Aspen, Colorado has perhaps some of the most picturesque views in the entire American West. This painting was originally a mural. It shows the view from Capitol Peak, overlooking Snowmass and the Maroon Bells. To get to this summit, one must hike 17 miles round trip with exposure and a high risk of rockfall. From 2014–2016 I climbed all of Colorado’s 14ers and painted views from the summits of each. I fell in love with these vast landscapes and I learned how climbing mountains can teach us life lessons in our own personal lives. To me, the quote “…the best view comes after the hardest climb” does not necessarily refer to mountains but it refers to the satisfaction that comes after pushing though after a hard life obstacle. The most difficult things can come with the highest reward and the highest satisfaction.

If you want to read more about Lisa and her designs, check out our Design Highlight!