In the wilderness, I feel intensely alive and connected with the remote place where I camp and paddle. I have time to think, to notice the smallest insects, to listen intently to the sounds of loons and the woods. What a contrast from my daily life! In this series, I explore the contrast of my city life of jam-packed calendars and the daily drive on Capital Boulevard with the way I feel while in the wilderness. My mindset and the sensations I feel in these places seem polar opposite: mindful vs. pre-occupied, calm vs. chaos.
I use color palette and shape to reflect contrasting imagery. The city is represented by shades of gray and rectilinear shapes in contrast to the wilderness represented by color and organic movement. After many attempts, I found that the organic feel of ikat with bright colors provided the imagery I’d hoped for. In contrast, the subtle exposed warp, painted in shades of gray reflected co-existence of the urban vs. wilderness.
This series continues to evolve and grow with the October Dogwoods pieces.