Echoes of Grass 2024
I live on a farm in Highland, NY which is surrounded by maple forests and vibrant meadows. Earlier this year, while walking through the pastures, I was struck deeply by the wave-like patterns in the grass which were caused by the wind. I wanted to capture this fleeting imagery, so I brought paint, paper, and brushes into the fields. By carefully applying paint to the grass and pressing the paper onto it with my hands and feet, intricate fractal patterns emerged—bold, powerful, honest.
Echoes of Grass – This new series is about breaking free from rules and studio constraints. Using the earth as my brush, I create works that connect me intimately to nature, the universe, creation, and to my own mortality. The process freezes ephemeral motion—waves of grass—onto the surface of the paper and immortalizes their beauty. These fractals reflect the interconnectedness of all life and nature’s universal design, as seen in flowing rivers, sand dunes, and wisps of clouds.
This work has transformed my relationship with art and raises profound questions:
- Who is the artist?
- Impressions of nature, or nature’s impressions?
- Subjective or objective?
- Realism or abstraction?
- Painting or printing?
- Redefines plein air art?
Environmental Impact
The Echoes of Grass series is created on a meticulously maintained section of a private farm. Water-based paints and inks are hand-applied to dense field grasses, which grow over three feet tall. Paper is gently pressed onto the painted grass using hand and foot pressure, repeated until the desired effect is achieved. The tightly interwoven grasses naturally protect the soil, leaving roots untouched to allow regeneration. Once complete, grass tops are trimmed and responsibly stored in a designated natural refuse area on the property.