Part II - Iceland
Last summer, Kindra Nikole and I journeyed to Iceland to see the
amazing sights, and collaborate on a variety of photoshoots. It was a
place we had both always longed to visit, and roaming the twilight
landscape in our little elfin camper van felt like exploring it in a
dream. We traveled at night since the sun never set fully, and confused
tourists in the mornings with our glowing armor and mirrored faces.
"The Colour of Storms" 18"x24" Oil and Mixed Media on Lasercut Acrylic Panel
During the brief Icelandic summer, lupine fields stretch as far as the eye can see. Their stunning beauty left us speechless. When we came across the mountains to this particular field, storm clouds were rolling in and casting a technicolor glow over the horizon. Right at that moment, a tiny fox ran out from between the flowers! It was the most ridiculous natural display I have ever seen, and made an unbelievable environment for both of us to shoot in! The creative rush of working there was so intense that we ended up forgetting to take our ice cooler with us afterwards! Hopefully the little fox and elves enjoyed our skyr, yogurts, and cheeses...
Lupines are an invasive species to Iceland, so even though they are incredibly beautiful, they are also evidence of how much we are impacting the natural world. As global temperatures increase, many non-native species will continue to thrive at the expense of delicate local flora & fauna.
"Skies of Salt Crash to the Ground" 11x14 framed in 12x16 with lasercut matte
The location that had the most impact on me was Jökulsárlón, the glacial lagoon in the south of Iceland. We pulled up to the lagoon as two huge icebergs were flipping and colliding on their way out to sea, churning beneath a flurry of sea birds. There is no proper way to put that sublime vision into words.
"Frozen Saga" 30"x40" Oil and Mixed Media on Lasercut Acrylic Panel
On a trip across the lake in a small Zodiac boat, the guides
described how this lagoon (and the icebergs within) have only been here
since the 1950s, when the glacier began to melt. In another 50 years,
the entire glacier will be gone. It's such a stark visual reminder of
the impact we are having on this world. This was where the concept of a
transformed Earth began to fascinate me, and viscerally informed the
rest of the series.
Detail of "Frozen Saga"
Shooting on the icy shores of that lagoon in the early morning light did feel like we were explorers in an alien land. That emotion was part of the genesis for the alien travelers roaming through the paintings of "Stranger Than Earth"
"The Stranger" 18"x24" Oil and Mixed Media on Lasercut Acrylic Panel
"Frozen Saga - Watercolor Study" Tritych watercolor framed in 24"x36" with lasercut matte
"Sea of Tears" 11x14 framed in 12x16 with lasercut matte
I returned from Iceland brimming with ideas, energy, and stunning photographs to work from. Yet life is ever unpredictable, and before this series could be born, I would brave both a physical, and mental storm. More soon in the final installment â¤ï¸Ž
