The imagery I use in my Underbrush series of works comes from organic geometry found in the undergrowth landscape of Northwest Washington. I define close-up scenes of the forest floor with all encompassing detail to pull the viewer into an image that expands perceptions of the scale of nature via the difference in sizes of the smallest lines and shapes and the largest areas of the image.

 

I begin making my linoleum block prints by drawing through digital photographs and transferring to the block using carbon paper, thus refining the image to its basic black or white defining lines and shapes. Combining contemporary technology with the most primitive form of printmaking comes together to create complex images that rely only on ‘on’ or ‘off’ represented by solid black ink or white paper. Printing the entire image in one moment creates an immediate snapshot – a moment defined – of the constantly changing natural environment.

 

My paintings begin as sketches made from photos, similar to the black or white lines and shapes of my prints. I proceed by adding layers of color that combine to create complex images that play on emotional responses to color, defining the illusion of space on the canvas.