Rhythms of Light

Rhythms of Light

(Private Collection)
2009
10.5" X 18"
Ballpoint Pen on Paper


This is a recently finished commissioned work. I enjoyed developing the little interacting moments in the bottom left, while still making the two larger interacting light images the focus. The balance of the piece was an interesting challenge, and I had fun synthesizing all the elements.

Andromeda Galaxy

Andromeda Galaxy
Archival ink ballpoint pen on mylar and paper

This image was all about layering. I drew an image on paper and overlayed it with mylar. I then drew on both the front and back of the translucent surface to create different tones. This process was more like aquatint, so it was helpful that I've had some experience with printmaking. Three layers took three times the work, so I really got to know this image. I was happy with the illusion of space in this drawing. In person, it really feels like it's pulling you in, much like the gravity of our larger, neighboring galaxy Andromeda.

Orion's Belt

Orion's Belt
24" x 30"
Archival ink ballpoint pen on paper

This drawing was loosely based on a hubble deep space image of Orion's belt. I chose this recognizable image in order to ground the viewer with a familiar constellation. This way, one can enter a familiar image, but see it in a completely new light.

The Center of the Universe

The Center of the Universe
33"x42'' Drawing
Ballpoint Pen on Arches paper

This drawing took two months to complete, but was worth it. The process of drawing with only circles was challenging, but it was responsible for the organic quality of the image. I was pleased with the glow it created by letting the paper show through.

It shows how the universe is made of light, and that there is no dark, only the absence of light.

The Universe Within

The Universe Within

This was one of the first star images I created. I used bic ballpoint pens to build up the image of stars within a mountain scape. It reminds me of lights on a hillside, however, these lights come from within.

The Last Moment

The Last Moment

14" X 11"

PastelIt was a great day for thunderstorms...in the distance. We got some nice rain in the afternoon, but the huge anvil heads, like this one, passed us by. But what a view. I only had about five minutes to run into the house and grab my pastels before this one disappeared. I tried my blue paper this time, and I think that caught the light of twilight well. The grey appeared to grow out of the muted blue in the way the clouds do when you can't quite tell whether or not you're seeing sky or a storm. I tried some bright colors for the light on the clouds this time, rather than my usual white or light yellow. It was so fun to add those hints of pink!

Light in the Shadows

Light in the Shadows
6" X 6"
Oil Pastel on Black Paper

This little moment called to me. I just happened to look out my window and glimpsed this delicate little silhouette. I'm called to moments where the shadows define the light. The way this crape myrtle swayed in front of the lit window in the night breeze made me drop what I was doing and capture its likeness.

Sunlit Thunderheads

I did this pastel of clouds in the few moments I had before the sun set and the thunderheads grew. There was so much contrast and shifting shadows that it was a rush to try and capture it all. I'll have to create a series of these clouds-there's just so many here in Texas, and they shift into even greater versions of themselves every second.