The eternal lure of an island, that faint glimmer in the distance, that unexplored landscape, that opportunity to expand our own inner horizons, is nowhere more potent for me than on the islands along Scotland’s West Coast.
The images shown here reflect my repeated visits to Eilean Aird Meinish, a tiny tidal island sitting between Loch Miavaig and Loch Roag. Only accessible by foot at low tide and dwarfed by the often cloud-capped hills of Uig, the island is a reminder of the power held within the smallest view and the slowest journey.
Along the West coast of Scotland, sitting high above Loch Nevis, there is a beautiful woodland walk. These images are the result of a winter week, walking this trail as a silent meditation. The way is filled with stories of streams, stones, and gifts of weathered vegetation.
In the fall of 2019, I was accepted by the Arctic Circle Organization to participate in an art residency program aboard the brigantine Antigua, sailing around the Svalbard Archipelago with 28 other artists. We spent 2 weeks exploring the environmental changes occurring in the fastest warming location in the Arctic. These are just a few of the images I created as a result of this amazing experience.
These recent works focus on the changing landscape along the southwestern coast of Greenland. Following time spent in the North, I was invited to work and exhibit in the town of Narsaq, an area of stunning natural beauty now threatened by potential open pit mining. As in so many areas of Greenland, there is an ongoing debate between the need for economic development and the preservation and well-being of the land and its inhabitants.
These images are a result of a month-long residency I spent in Uummannaq, a small island above the Arctic Circle off Greenland's west coast. The island has a population of approximately 1500 people who live at the base of the island's iconic heart-shaped mountain. Mountain, ice, sea and sky tell an amazing story of life in Uummannaq Fjord.
In addition to being drawn by the ancient stone textures of Greenland, I am also deeply affected by the culture of the country. The qilaat (frame drum) has been used in rituals, disputes, celebrations, and by shaman reaching Into the spirit world for generations. The music seems to come from within the Earth itself. For this series, I have used textures of Greenland to celebrate the qilaat and all those who keep its traditions alive.
The creation of the Earth is a continuing process. As stone, sea, and sky interact with the inner energy of this planet’s deepest layers, each player in the dance changes constantly. As ice and rivers sculpt the land, as rocks transform through heat and pressure, each substance finds a new path and a new direction.
Exploring the river beds of New England, where meltwater both shapes and carries pieces of ancient mountain tops down to the sea, one can witness changing shapes, changing textures, and the divergence of the present from the past.
These images reflect my impressions of the energy released at the meeting places of rocks and rivers, where a vulnerable Earth charts every course and every next step.
All of these works were completed during the Covid lockdown of 2020.
Accepted as an official show for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by the Queen's Hall, these images are based on mind maps that combine elements of old maps of Scotland with textures from Scotland's Hebridean Islands.
The story of Greenland's history is tied to the history of the qamutit, the dog sled used by Inuits for centuries. As the sole means of transportation and hunting over the snow and ice, it is at the heart of what has tied distant communities and families together. These images are part of a picture essay I am working on that includes 3 types of images: black and white, full color, and collages of the sleds in their environments. Here is a small sampling.
Images dedicated to the people of Scotland's Isle of Lewis. These images, drawn from the ancient stone landscape of the Outer Hebrides, now hang in the departure hall of Stornoway Airport, Isle of Lewis, Scotland.
On Scotland's Isle of Lewis, there is an ancient stone site called the Callanish Stones. This series is installed in the Arrival Hall at Stornoway Airport, Isle of Lewis, Scotland.
The ancient place names of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides reveal the history of the people who settled here. The beautifully descriptive words are the result of both Gaelic and Norse influences, and often hold multiple keys to the shapes, colors, and stories of the land. This collection of images is inspired by time spent trying to decipher these names and landforms along the West coast of Lewis, while walking the stunning Bhaltos Peninsula.
A gallery of installations of my work in public spaces
Uummannaq Museum, Uummannaq, Greenland
Ilulissat Kunstmuseum, Ilulissat, Greenland
On location shooting in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, Greenland, Svalbard and in New York City.
