Drawing Inspiration from the Backcountry
Illustrating a (Mildly) Harrowing Backcountry Experience
The Story Behind This Month's Print Release
March 2023
The Backpacker
I am thrilled to announce that The Backpacker print will be available at 9am on March 16th!
March is here, and spring is (technically) up on us! Hopefully almost time to gear up and get outdoors (as soon as the rain stops if you live in Idaho). I figured it'd be fun to share the story of some of the inspiration behind this piece:
Hells Canyon
It was the second evening of a 36-mile backpacking trip through the Seven Devils...
I was near Hells Canyon on the border of Idaho and Oregon, and I had run out of water several hours (and several miles) earlier, and it was getting dark. I had skipped my last chance to fill up, seeing multiple sources further ahead on the map, but as I trudged on for hours, I found that all of the streams had dried up in the summer heat, and I was starting to get SUPER dehydrated and panicked.
Just as I seriously started to wonder if I was going to need a rescue or something crazy, I stumbled across a tiny stream of water coming out the rocks.
I had to carve up my water bottle and scoop up a few of ounces of water at a time. I hung my filter in a tree branch and let it trickle through my filter. I slumped against a boulder on the trail, completely exhausted from the dehydration and long distances.
The alpine lake I camped at the night before
As the sun sank lower, and the peaks around my valley were bathed in salmon twilight...
...a hummingbird flitted out from the between the pines and hovered directly over my water supply.
It stayed there for a few moments, as if to offer its blessing. I'll always remember that moment. It sounds a little dramatic, but the whole experience was enough to bring tears to my eyes when I finally reached my car. The Backpacker celebrates the presence of water and this tiny hummingbird that visited me during my moment of greatest relief.
The Backpacker 16x20 Print
The Backpacker will be available for a limited time only.
16 x 20 and 11 x 14 sizes will be available for order March 16-26th. Keep an eye out for some extra emails this month with all of the details coming your way!
Recent Work For Barron's Magazine
Barron’s Magazine
An assignment came across my desk from Art Director Nick Hallam at Barron's Magazine a few weeks ago. The article I illustrated spells out the likelihood of deeper regulation amidst increasing American distrust of big tech, so I focused in on the regulation aspect with a sea of magnifying glasses.
Monthly Vibe
I recently discovered and instantly fell in love with the work of Japanese illustrator Keiji Yano . His style has insanely flashy and bright splashes of color, but are also lathered up in soft, supple textures and soothing compositions.
Furry Assistant
My Furry Assistant, Roast Beef the cat has recently decided that instead of being compensated with a 401(k) and a standing desk, she'd rather be paid in old LaCroix boxes and extra Meow Mix Original.