Eternal Spaces
My work focuses on the correlation of atmospheric moisture and the changing light of day within a landscape. I incorporate the reflections of diffused sunlight from the surrounding environment into my grey scale drawings. This allows my dark values to dictate the movement of fog and mist within the environment. This environmental effect bestows my work with the drama created by extreme light, in a world frozen in time.
This atmospheric phenomenon within the environment is often over looked or frowned upon. My intent is to bring the viewer into my landscapes allowing them to become one with nature. I attempt to place my viewer within the landscape in a moment of complete silence and solitude. Yet, allowing the viewer to find peace with the unknown elements which are eluding the scene or are cast into the shadows.
My imagery originates from places in my life where I have found my own inner peace and solitude incorporating a Daoism appeal. Most images are only reflections or memories of places, some which no longer exist, from Virginia, North Carolina and western Illinois. My drawings start with a simple sketch, and at times many different sketches, and then evolve into compositions in which line and form develop the foundation for my values. Each piece is a mixture incorporating graphite, graphite powder, and fumage, selected for their carbon composition and diversity of values. The graphite washes are applied as stable values, and incorporate the defined elements of the landscape. Fumage is a technique created by utilizing the emancipated motion of a flame. The flame is allowed freedom to stream over the surface creating a soft line or eliminating edges from a solid formation. Layering the components helps to achieve the natural movements within the image.