Urban Smoke

Shade is an apt description for the monochromatic drawings I have been developing for many years. They are records of the insubstantial but epic plumes of smoke, fog, either natural or manufactured clouds of humidity, rain, hail, or exhaust. Using ink and gouache, the paper's surface absorbs floods of water, carrying ink or color, leaving marks of unique values and surface variation as the moisture evaporates. The drawings are developed using the automatic ‘drying’ shapes in combination with active, agitated, cross-hatched, handmade marks. These small masses of lines form textures that define the weight of atmospheric events, bringing a focus to the contrast of small vs large. The surface is knit together by the cross-hatched web of marks, shifting its shade-filled forms across the picture, suggestive of private confusions or environmental fragility.