Maple & Fir

Gunpowder pyrography and gold ink on 3 wood panels.

7.5ft x 5ft (90in x 60in)

2019

This triptych is based on a Rocky Mountain Maple and a Douglas Fir on our property in Columbia Falls.
I’ve noticed that the maples carve out their own layer of the forest — somewhere between the towering trees and the scrubby underbrush. Often the jumbled maples hug up to the base of rigid firs.

The maple is movement; nerves and energy — carrying the viewer around the space. The fir is stillness; a spine or monolith — a place to rest.

For this pyrograph, I’ve adhered and burned layer upon layer of gunpowder; creating a highly textured surface. The textural depth pushes and pulls; inviting you to walk into the forest.

This triptych can be displayed with the panels touching or separated.