My creative research is highly invested in representing conceptual approaches to mapping, aerial views and the aesthetic created from the observation of weather patterns as viewed from above. In the making of my drawings and paintings, the process of layering is used to create a finished work that presents the viewer with a visual amalgamation of both the seen and the unseen mark. My current work plays with the notion of scale and presents an aesthetic ambiguity similar to that seen from both the macro and micro viewpoints.

I have developed a technique of working in graphite pencil on black toned paper. The visual result presents the viewer with an intriguing image, which changes dramatically from different viewpoints. My intention is for these drawings to function on several different levels through media and scale manipulation. The viewer is drawn into each work through its almost blank appearance when viewed either face on or from a distance. On closer inspection, these works reveal miniscule details created through an intricate web of graphite drawing, resembling complex patterns of the earths’ surface as seen from above.

In working on the ‘Flow’ series of drawings, I chose to include more recognizable landmarks as viewed aerially. I’m very interested in the way in which rivers and bodies of water hold a tremendous physical power, resulting in dramatic alterations of the landscape. Additionally, the mark making capabilities of flowing water on the earth’s surface as seen from above, is a long-term fascination of mine. This series of drawings tracks the flow of water towards oceans and seas, examining the consequential physical shapes of a variety of rivers throughout the world.

Addressing issues of physical and historical layering within the landscape, my drawings and paintings directly reference aerial views, topographic imagery and poignant environmental concerns. Environmentally, the altering of rivers through human intervention along with the effects of climate change are both cause for increasing concern globally. Damming and diverting of rivers, along with the lowering of land through gas and ground water extraction contribute towards an increased flooding of major deltas. As river levels fall, water consumption increases, resulting in battles over water rights and ethical practices.

In presenting this body of work, my intention is to not only show the beauty of the earth’s surface and the mark making capabilities of water through my own subtle mark making techniques; but also to highlight the current environmental threat presented by many of the world’s major river deltas.