A fascination with mapping and a strong connection to the land motivates this series of drawings.  I am interested in how topographic contour lines both describe the landscape and provide direction.  Each piece is an exercise in locating my place in the world.

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Using ballpoint pen on paper, I have developed a technique that layers topographic maps over the landscape images to produce distinctive representations of my surroundings.  Through detailed repetitive marks, atmospheric tonal drawings emerge from the paper.

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Amongst my current drawings are works showing a bird's eye view of the mountains layered over map references.  Sometimes the contour lines match the topography.  At other times, they show different aspects of the view, creating a multi-perspectival approach that reflects my own shifting vantage point.

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Other drawings in the series piece together images to create a memory of a moment in time.  By drawing a series of photos, for example, I record the memories of myself as the photographer in a much more personal way that just having the reference photos.  I am both inside and outside the drawing.  A viewer of the landscape and someone situated within.

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Description of the Work

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These works are almost exclusively based on my immediate surroundings - the view of the mountains and the topographic contour lines that describe the landscape, the buildings on our property, and the huge walnut trees that are such a feature of the garden.

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Layering techniques, mark making and map projections are all integral parts of my image making, and the humble ballpoint pen proved to be the perfect drawing tool to achieve the effects I wanted.

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These works are available for purchase as limited edition giclee fine art prints.