Ascent 

As an admirer of the intimist artist Edward Hopper, my hope is that this piece reflects some of the sense of longing and mystery he was able to create in a number of his paintings and graphic works. His use of space was unique in its perspective of urban, rural, and industrial landscapes. Even though Hopper used the camera extensively, and I prefer not to, his vision has been influential on my own work for a number of years.

 Limelight 

Walking with my father in the woods near a creek I noticed a natural berm with a variety of small saplings perched on top, as if placed there on purpose. It's a scene I've seen repeatedly in nature, and depicted from time to time. Mindful of this image, I created this drawing with the "backdrop" of a dramatic sky to halo a small, single tree.
Note: This drawing was recently removed from the mat and reworked. Click here to view the previous stage of this drawing. As you can see the shape of the cloud was altered and the tree was lightened.