Stacked Earth Drawing

I’m a sculptor, metalsmith, and fine artist living and working in Atlanta, GA. See my full portfolio at https://www.gravelinestudio.com/ Currently, I’m focusing on large-scale soft-pastel drawings. My drawings have always been a blend of abstract shapes and landscape elements, in a loose, impressionistic style. In my quest to evolve my drawings to a more unique personal message, I’ve begun my latest series, which is my response to the climate crisis. In my view, we must return to living in harmony with nature—not an easy task. To illustrate this point, I am combining disparate elements of realistic imagery and abstract forms in a harmonious setting in which they can live together. The color palette contrasts bold colors with subdued, earthy tones. Realistically rendered landscapes are contained in an abstract setting that belies their realism, and strong images of fantasy plants and flowers serve as both guardians and observers of the precarious balance between the elements. It will be a difficult road to improve our relationship with nature. But if we do not, then nature, the most powerful element, will create an environment in which we cannot survive. As a sculptor, I've been working in steel. My steel pieces are meant to suggest relics with timeless mythical themes, even while addressing contemporary subjects. In 2020, when the pandemic shut down society, I began responding to this crisis we all faced by building apotropaic figures (objects that ward off evil) titled Virus Eaters. These figures represent strength in the face of great vulnerability. Apotropaic themes continue to inform my more recent sculpture, even as it addresses topics beyond the pandemic.