During the summer of 2018, I worked as an intern with the Museum of Outdoor Arts and Prismajic on Natura Obscura, a 5,000 sq ft immersive installation in Englewood, Colorado.

"Natura Obscura is a self-guided exploration through a surrealist forest that combines art, sculpture, and the latest in augmented and digital technologies. Experience the wonder of a new form of art as you wander among the trees and fantastical woodland creatures." - from the Natura Obscura website

Over thirty artists came together to work on this project.  I helped with a lot of the general construction as one of ten Design and Build interns, but I was also responsible for designing the "fantastical woodland creatures" that populate the space.  Below is the sculptural work I did for the exhibit.  Click here to see the graphic work I did for Natura Obscura.

I created 50 unique woodland spirits to populate Natura Obscura out of slip-cast and hand-built ceramic stoneware, ranging from 1" to 5" tall.  These creatures are tucked away in every corner of the exhibit, adding a layer of whimsy to this contemplative installation.  Unique tribal patterns were applied to every spirit with a UV-reactive marker.  Every viewer is given a blacklight flashlight when they enter, so as they walk through the exhibit, they can use the flashlight to find these spirits peaking out behind rocks, through tree branches, and around mushrooms.

Mold-making and slip-casting assistance from Lexie Lund, the mold queen.

In addition to these woodland spirits, I also created three unique species of fungus growing throughout the space.  These were molded and cast in resin by Lexie Lund and Alex DeBenedictis.

Thanks to Heather Longway for many of the photos on this page