Map II

Map II is a 5 x 3.5 inch piece of mixed media map art on multimedia artboard. I love to use vintage maps in my work because they're so beautiful, and because they suggest to me a feeling of mystery and adventure. There is an excitement that comes with travel, even if it's only in our daydreams. I don't get to travel that much, but it sparks the imagination to think of new and intriguing places where I might possibly go in the future. The maps in my work are generally chosen for their beauty; the actual places they depict are often not related to the meaning of the piece. The Earth's structures and land forms - mountains, rivers, lakes, plains, and valleys -  inspire a sense of awe for the delicate shapes and patterns they form on the map, and also for what those forms represent. The Earth and the sea, the meandering line of a river, the shape of a mountain, and all the places where they connect, have become personal symbols in my work. I experience them as sacred, and I believe that many other people do as well.

Map II, for me, is a depiction of a journey of the imagination. In this piece of mixed media map art, I wanted to create a hopeful, positive mood using color, shape and line as abstract elements. The interwoven, contrasting shapes create a striking composition that draws the viewer in. The rich, complimentary shades of turquoise, rust, and gold are eye-catching, and are some of my favorite colors to work with. While it doesn't really tell a story, it could certainly bring to mind daydreams of travel to faraway places.  I like thinking about what it would have been like to sail the oceans and waterways of centuries past, when maps were not prized for their beauty, but for much more practical purposes. Yet, I can't help thinking that they also were awed by the power and beauty of the natural world, much as we are today.