Active Earth

The prompt I received for the Infinite Sketch Project was simply “Active.”

I wanted to explore how much activity exists within things we tend to perceive as inert or dormant. Rather than illustrating movement directly, I began thinking about the earth itself: something that can appear still while remaining in constant motion and transformation. I used all of the inks sent with the project along with several of my own. For the background, I applied bottled inks with natural-hair brushes, using denatured alcohol to lighten, blend, and move the colors across the surface. I let the piece dry before returning to it.

Once the background had settled, I used the art pens provided with the project and corresponding colored inks to build the topographic lines across the surface. Those lines became the most direct expression of the prompt, suggesting terrain, shifting boundaries, and activity occurring within what initially appears still. The green and blue sprays at the top and bottom were intended to suggest particles moving through the atmosphere. I'm not entirely convinced that part resolved as successfully as I hoped, but it remains part of the experiment and the finished work.

Active Earth was created for the Infinite Sketch Project and sent to the Brooklyn Art Library in Brooklyn, New York.

Update: After the Brooklyn Art Library closed, the sketchbook's current location is unknown. The work remains part of my studio archive and the documented history of my practice.