Mid America
This series of works aims to explore the complex and interconnected relationship between the natural world and humans. Specifically, I have focused on the grasslands of North America and the Cimaron River that flows through Oklahoma. By incorporating natural elements, motifs, and depictions of wildlife, I hope to prompt viewers to reflect on the impact humans have on the environment and the delicate balance that must be maintained and healed.
Echoes in the prairie
Charcoal & Graphite on hot-pressed cotton paper.
2023
Commission
INTRODUCTION:​
In this charcoal homage to North America's prairies, a bison and calf anchor the composition, symbolizing resilience amidst environmental decline.
Overhead, Oklahoma's scissortail flycatcher and the American kestrel soar, representing freedom against a backdrop of loss. Tucked in the corner, cotton-tailed rabbits embody the overlooked fragility of this ecosystem, while an incongruous human tooth amidst the darkness serves as a stark emblem of our consumptive impact on these lands. This artwork is a call to preserve the prairie's remnants, weaving together symbols of nature's persistence and our own responsibility.
A bouquet of grasses
Charcoal and graphite on cotton paper.
8" x 10"
2023
Along the Cimmaron River
Original drawing available for purchase.
INTRODUCTION:​
The study focuses on the native grass species present along the Cimarron River in Oklahoma.
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White Bass over Stars
Charcoal & Graphite on hot-pressed paper.
8" x 8"
2023
Along the Cimmaron River
Available for purchase
INTRODUCTION:​
The artwork showcases a white bass, which is commonly found in many rivers and lakes of Oklahoma. The fish is marked in charcoal and graphite over a backdrop of a starry night sky.
During our artist retreat, hosted by Liz Dueck for the Along the Cimmaron exhibition, we spent a night camping by the river. The sky above us was crystal clear and unpolluted, allowing us to see the stars vividly. It was a rare and memorable experience, especially considering how unfamiliar it has become to see a clear night sky due to light pollution.
Amidst the vanishing grassland
Charcoal & Graphite on hot-pressed cotton paper.
48" x 36"
2023
Original drawing available for purchase.
INTRODUCTION:​
Amidst the Vanishing Grassland is a 48" x 36" charcoal drawing that highlights the ongoing loss of North America's grasslands. Once spanning millions of acres, the prairie has been reduced to a fraction of its former size due to human activities such as farming, urbanization, and the introduction of non-native plant species.
The two dapple grey horses galloping through the black background symbolize the majesty of the prairie, now diminished but not forgotten. The mix of native and non-native plants surrounding the horses serves as a reminder of the impact of human activity on the landscape, a story that has played out repeatedly throughout history. The larger of the two circles contains two barn swallows flying freely, a symbol of nature's resilience even as it faces the consequences of human impact. This work is a call to action, a reminder of the need to protect and preserve the beauty and diversity of the prairie for future generations, and a tribute to the rich history of this once-vast ecosystem.
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Taken
Charcoal & Graphite on hot pressed cotton watercolor paper.
12" x 16"
2022
Original drawing available for purchase.
INTRODUCTION:​
This drawing, made up of natural elements and motifs from my previous works, deconstructs the representative, abstracting the natural world into its parts. Though the primary subjects are clearly defined as the blinded & vulnerable fawns centered within the work, imagery surrounding the fawns provide insight into those symbols which permeate reality.
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The bird, nearly blending into the background despite being a foreground figure, acts as a mirror of the viewer themselves, idly watching as the environment surrounding the fawns comes apart. The strip of branches at the top of the work provide a glimpse into that original natural environment of the fawns, which is being eradicated below. The human tooth, a more literal reflection of the human population, is a vestige of the consumption which destroys environments like these fawns may have otherwise been apart of. My hope is that seeing all that is undone here might encourage reflection of our own undoing.