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Scientific Illustration and Plein Air Studies
(Note: These are thumbnails! Please click to see the full piece!)
I love geology and have learned as much as I could about every region in which I’ve lived and visited on vacation. I love seeking out unusual stones and regions to draw, because nothing beats an in-person experience for inspiration. The last couple of years I landed 2 commissions for geological illustration, which was a dream come true. Presently I’m working with the author of the topaz book on another one about moldavite, but it’s just in the conceptual stage.
Also, last summer I spent time painting the local wildfires. I wanted to paint it in person rather than just from photographs, because there is so much to learn from working with such a dynamic subject. Lighting, impermanence, and working quickly are all skills that are easy to neglect if you just use still references. The previous 2 summers I went out frequently just to paint water in the local rivers and streams. Last summer was very different.
Topaz Peak - A recent illustration I made for an upcoming book on hunting for topaz in the mountains of Utah. Ink and Procreate (original ink piece 8” x10”).
Peculiar rock at low tide at Cape Kiwanda. I was hoping that by drawing this I could better understand the processes that formed and eroded the strange formations in this unique location. Ink and Procreate.
Zektzerite, Gem of the Golden Horn - a piece I did for a promotional postcard for a gemologist specializing in finding, cutting, and selling the stone. Zektzerite fluoresces bright blue, so I included it in its fluorescent state. We see the aurora here fairly often so I placed it in the backdrop. The Golden Horn isn’t just a mountain, it’s a geological region. The client wanted to be specific about the region but not the actual locale, lest it become picked over, so this peak was a good red herring. Ink, Procreate and Photoshop (original ink piece, 8” x 10”)
Technically more of a sci-fi piece than anything, but I wanted to include it because Kangaroo Ridge is one of the most fascinating geological places I’ve ever been to, and it’s like a second home to me. Ink and Procreate.
Aquamarine gem study, Procreate, life drawing.
Fluorite study, Procreate, life drawing
Fire plein air study, Procreate
Cedar Creek Fire plein air study, July 2021. There was a place you could observe the fire from across the river, where the smoke towered above you but the air was clean. It was a silver lining of an opportunity in an otherwise lost summer.
Cedar Creek Fire Plume from my yard.
Cedar Creek Fire plein air study, July 2021. This was painted from the same location as the previous piece, but at night. I only had about an hour before the cold night air drove the smoke down and forced me to go home from my observation spot.