The Pacific Northwest has been a source of endless fascination for me. It has influenced and inspired much of my work as a student and continues to unveil connections and curiosities that keep me returning to the subject again and again. I am constantly humbled by all that is not human and inspired by the endless connections that exist within nature, both seen and unseen; some felt, others simply understood.  

 

This respect and adoration for the Pacific Northwest is what inspired me to create Cascadia: Life in the Upper Left. This collection illustrates the biodiversity of the four distinct ecological zones (high desert, sub-alpine/alpine, temperate rainforest, and coastal)  found between Oregon, Washington, Western British Columbia, and Southeast Alaska.  

Each illustration provides information on a single zone that is found in different areas across the span of the Pacific Northwest; it was important for me to illustrate the defining common elements of each zone, while still portraying the differences that may be found within the zones as they exist in different areas.  I want the viewer to be able to look at each piece as a cohesive narrative and at the same time, find many individual narratives within each piece.

 

Overall, my hope is that all four pieces be seen and understood together as a collective ecological portrait.