Blue Wisdom

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Inner Topographies continue my exploration of the layered topographic form. What sets these works apart is that the layers are derived not from USGS data of physically existing land forms, but from the figure found in the top layer of Russian Birch ply revealing the inner growth of the tree.  The macro pattern of topography repeating in the growth layers of trees hints at yet-to-be-understood relationships between all organisms. When combined with color harmonies, the works become a metaphor for the inward search for connection, peace and stability. 

By connecting to the forces and forms of nature, I am tapping into cycles that far outlast our current struggle with global pandemic and societal clashes. Never the less, I continue to ask larger questions…Are we “driven” by unsustainable forces set in motion during the last century? Is it possible for humans to curb our appetites and return to a state of flow within the limits of our planetary home?

Works in the Topo Shift series explore the perceptual shift I experience moving through the woods: vast contours of the land exist in my mind as a micro-model while light and shadow weave me into the macro-environment. The viewer’s perception oscillates as well: with a slight shift of the head the three-dimensional form of the topography is flattened by foliage patterns, then pops forward again as the mind makes sense of spatial form.

Each work is rooted in a personal experience of the land. The three-dimensional terrain is built of Russian birch using topographic data from USGS maps. These organic terrain shapes create movement over which I paint shadows photographed while hiking. The result is a union of 3D form and 2D pattern suffused with light and color.