22 x 14.5 inches

Charcoal, Shellac, and oil on paper, mounted to canvas

2024

“Woodland Waterworks” was sparked by a recent spell of heavy rain and flooding. Overnight, the nearby woods transformed into amazing waterfalls and wetlands. My best friend Josh sent me a photo of the hills and forest transformed into a rushing waterfall scene. Surprisingly, that pixelated picture ended up being the missing piece that got my wheels spinning. I sent him back a digital sketch (stick-figure equivalent) of a house in the woods with a water wheel and bridge.

Through countless iterations, I kept drawing, sealed it with shellac, and over time transformed it into an oil painting. I imagined myself as a kid again, walking through the woods, stumbling upon an ancient village set on the falls — my own sort of Rivendell. Is the house fit for an elf? A second bridge? Is there a fox den somewhere below the falls? I wanted to let my imagination run wild, explore and discover new things.