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Craftmanship

The pleasure I get in making the maps comes partly from the sense of accomplishment of successfully rendering the three-dimensional world into a two-dimensional medium. But equally, there is the sheer joy of creating a piece of artwork using the time-honored tools of pen-and-ink and watercolor washes. The tactile quality that one gets in using these media allows for a kind of expression not easily achieved using more modern, mechanical methods. In feeling the scratch of the pen nib across the tooth of the vellum, a certain connection is gained that gives each piece its individuality and allows unplanned serendipity to flourish. The variations of line and density of color, the meaning of edges and the rendering of unstable elements such as the sea; all combine to create the final composition. Each map represents a moment when an ever-changing world is briefly frozen in time. It is perhaps the chance to explore this very aspect which draws me to the coastal areas. The meeting of the land and the water is constantly in flux and capturing any particular moment presents an endlessly renewed artistic challenge.