"Salmon"
"In the Alpine"
"Bear"
I started this painting the day after hearing about a black bear/human conflict in the Central Cascades where the mama bear ended up losing her life as a result and the cubs had to be taken into rehabilitation. It wasn’t until halfway through this painting that the image of a bear started to emerge within the forest depths, making me realize what this piece truly is about.
With approximately 20,000 black bears living in Washington state alone, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife “receives an average of 500 black bear complaints, ranging from glimpses of bears to encounters”. With human populations encroaching more and more into “wild” landscapes, encounters with wildlife become more and more inevitable. Because of this, it is incredibly important that people become more educated about the ecosystems they live within and how they can prevent dangerous situations with bears and other animals. Because, whenever these often-preventable situations occur, it is always the bear that pays the price.
"Memory of the Forest"
This series narrates the story of a Ponderosa Pine tree. From the charcoal’s memory of a proud, familial forest to the moment when it all burned down, this body of work shows the viewer the tree’s story. Although the charcoal was gathered before the current wildfires that have spread across the Methow Valley, I feel that this topic is more relevant than ever.
