By: Stephen McMillan

Medium: etching and aquatint
Year: 1990
Image Size: 6 x 9 inches

Stephen McMillan’s Klamath River (1990) depicts the quiet majesty of Northern California’s Klamath River. Created after a day-long bike ride through cold rain, the print conveys not only the geography of the river valley but the atmosphere of the moment—the weight of damp air, the softened outlines of trees, and the silvery reflections on water.

The medium itself—etching and aquatint—is well suited to suggesting atmosphere: the fine lines of the etch convey structure (trees, riverbank, distant ridges) while the aquatint allows for subtle tonal gradations and atmospheric mood, capturing the sense of dampness, cloud-light, and the blur of weather.

Typical of McMillan’s work, Klamath River reflects his lifelong devotion to the natural world and his ability to distill fleeting experiences into lasting impressions. The transitions of light and shadow recall the stillness of a misted morning. More than a record of place, the print embodies the artist’s quiet engagement with solitude, motion, and weather.