Design & Execution

I've tracked over 14 years my visual obsession with radially-oriented life forms. So when I sought new painting subjects, the cactus astrophytum, which resembles a green, bedazzled, peeled-but-still-contiguous orange, of course caught my eye. It looks as though an overdressed canteloupe attempted to transform into a star, but quit halfway. When it grows a flower, it appears to be wearing a fancy hat. Down the side of each of its orange slices is a neat row of buttons, which if unbuttoned, would draw back the curtain into another universe. I drew on three different photos for this acrylic wash, which you should have guessed. The astrophytum is charismatic enough that it does not want to sit in close proximity to others of its kind outside of my paintings.

There are really two reasons as to why the rainbow eucalyptus could look the way it does: The bark simply can't decide what color to be. The fruit of the tree is Skittles, which inevitably melt in the sun and rain. Whichever it is, I felt like attempting to pay homage to Jacob Magraw-Mickelson .  Media: acrylic wash on watercolor paper

One afternoon, Tucker and I were drinking percolator coffee and avoiding errands, when he suggested that we take a look at  his collection of photos from his academically-guided trip to Israel and other areas near the Red Sea. What followed was a Spielberg-like  tour through Petra  (a.k.a.  the end of  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ) in Jordan , and a kibbutz* in Israel on Tucker’s monitor. Amid the comedy, danger, and sand, this shot of the city of Jerusalem struck me.  It shows the eastern, or Arab side of Jerusalem, an area of relatively new development.   The buildings and their glinting windows and green mosque lights coat the side of the hill like bright scales. Urban landscapes appeal to me, especially ones where space seems so precious that every inch could be the subject of a possible dispute. This interest may be tied to my upbringing in Alaska, where the land is so plentiful, people get tired just looking at it, let alone deciding what...

I have photographed my most recent painting in various stages to show my process. The title, TOPOGRAPHIC RELIEF , begs some kind of play on words, though I copied it faithfully from my model. I plastered the words on top because I enjoyed some real relief in stepping away from digital art for a period. Of course, it doesn't take long to recall the perils associated with rendering without Control + z. The painting equivalent involves dabbing at things with a moist Q-tip. I decided on the project with the intent of of gaining knowledge about U.S. geography. I have a fondness for infographics, particularly those that involve midcentury fonts. This typeface reminds me a bit of Vera Humana . I thought about creating a political map, but I enjoy the rippling lines that topographic maps entail, and also, elevation maps take longer to go out of date. The painting is a very literal exploration of the states through topography. Literal doesn't mean exact here. As I quickly disc...