Rewilding

The term ‘rewilding’ refers to the process by which ecological systems are reintroduced and reinforced in a habitat. Instead of restoring a landscape to a particular fixed ideal, proponents of rewilding tactics focus on supporting natural processes that promote self-sustainability of an ecosystem. Building on the gestural and descriptive mark-making in earlier bodies of work, the drawings in this series more directly acknowledge, wrestle with and incorporate the presence of human materials, structures, inorganic forms, and forced abstractions.

foreground is abstracted, textural scrubby bushes and prairie plants. in the mid ground there's an old wooden fence post, but the barbed wire fencelines have been noticeably painted over or "removed". the background opens up into a wide expanse — “Mending (Removing)” Acrylic, pastel, colored pencil on paper. 69x55”

watercolor and drawing of some golden wisps of prairie grass overlaid on a silvery white round disk — “Rewilding 1” Graphite, gouache, pastel on paper. 22x30”

woody material the color of cinnamon sticks are bunched together int he middle while osage oranges float around the root mass and are surrounded by twigs and snow — “Winter Tangle” Watercolor, pastel, colored pencil on collaged paper. 16x22”

dark dried sumac berry bunches are splayed out in an arc, stemming out of a cantelope colored semicircle at the bottom of the frame. A bright yellow green bunch of plant matter is in the mid ground and pastel lavender and peach hills disappear behind — “Rewilding 3” Acrylic, pastel, colored pencil on paper. 24x24”

98% of the composition is one hillside but its made up of tiny little multicolored marks. From a distance it looks grayish but up close its a rainbow. there's a gash in the hill where red stone shows through and above that a magenta fence post — “Landscape with scars” Watercolor and colored pencil on paper. 30x22”

blue round hay bales in a row across the paper with bright light coming from the left side off the page casting shadows to the viewer's right. abstracted landscape. pastel on fuzzy paper. — “Hayfield West of Lindsborg” pastel on BFK Rives. 4x4”

bright peach, orange, yellow, green and blues in the bottom 2/3 of the frame, 3 dark green cedars in the back, a white fluffy goldenrod that's starting to seed in the foreground — “Off Season Goldenrod” Acrylic and colored pencil on paper. 18x24”

ochre and dark red, velvety texture, definitely a crisp fall day with bits of smells and crispy things blowing in the air — “November 2020” Watercolor and colored pencil on paper. 12x10”

abstract all over composition of tiny, pointy black and white oval shapes overlapping and weaving together to make an organic surface — “Dendoctonus ponderosae: ‘Monoculture is where the logic of nature collides with the logic of economics’” Charcoal, gouache, pastel on paper. 52x48”

textural but realistic painting of a prairie plant in its winter senesence stage - dry and brittle — “Senescence” Acrylic on canvas. 26x35”

a false indigo plan with bulging green seed pods climbs up the middle, but a maximillian sunflower stalk is right behind it. lime green plant is crawling up from the bottom. background is warm honey tones and a light orb shape in the sky. — “The Third Baptisia” Watercolor, colored pencil, acrylic on paper. 18x24”

light gray sky, gold and rust colored land forms with an ice blue crevice in between and a plant form with conical dried leaves sticks up. the whole landscape is shivering — “After the Ice” Gesso, watercolor, pastel on paper. 30x22”

a snowy, bright blue path winds into the distance besides a warm honey prairie. a branch of dark dried maximillian sunflower eclipses the scene in the foreground — “Landscape with Maximillian” Watercolor and colored pencil on paper. 6x4”

fall colors and lots of texture! bluestem grasses are rust red and bright yellow ochre weaves througout. Sumac heads below and above, it's an autumnal celebration! — “Rewilding 7” Acrylic and pastel on paper. 21x28”

drawing of hill with tire tracks going up it. lots of very tiny colorful pencil marks, but the overall appearance is a cold light — “March 2020” watercolor and colored pencil on paper. 12x10”

earth tone washes and textures int he backround, a gnarly charcoal bunch of seed pods on a stalk in the foreground. the seed pods look like bean and are curious colors like turquoise, lime green and pink — “Winter Stalk” Watercolor, charcoal, pastel on paper. 15x19”

drawing and watercolor of a pokeweed plant — “Pokeweed” Charcoal, paste, colored pencil on paper. 18x24”

it's dusk - dark blue black back and middle ground with blue darkening sky. Foreground has unexpectedly bright pops of color. you can hear frogs in the background — “Rewilding 5” Acrylic, pastel, colored pencil on paper. 24x30”

watercolor and drawing of 3-4 coneflower seed pods overlapping with each other. bright unexpected colors highlight and swirl around them — “Rewilding 2” Graphite, gouache, pastel, colored pencil on paper. 22x30”

a dark, stark shape of a dried mullein stalk in the foreground, rust red, warm orchres of a prairie in the background. a red shadow of a person on their phone is cast by the viewer — “Figure with Mullein” colored pencil on paper. 6x4”

two light green false indigo plants that are just forming flower heads. the ground is textured and colorful. we're on a hill overlooking some water int he background — “Young Australis” Acrylic and oil pastel on canvas. 26x30”

abstracted wall of growth in jewel tones! lots of texture and line. — “Rewilding 4” Watercolor, gesso, pastel, colored pencil on paper. 22x30”