Ink Works

From above, the world dissolves into colour, pattern, and movement, this is where these works begin.

My ink work on aluminum and mylar is rooted in a balance between control and surrender. The process begins with a surface that is, in many ways, resistant, non-absorbent, smooth, and unforgiving. Unlike canvas or paper, these materials don’t allow for easy correction. Every mark carries weight. That tension is something I’m drawn to.

Working on aluminum, I’m engaging with a surface that reflects light back through the ink. The result is a sense of depth that shifts depending on how the piece is viewed. It feels almost atmospheric, as though the image is suspended rather than fixed. Mylar offers a different kind of response, more delicate, slightly translucent, and incredibly sensitive to the movement of ink. It captures nuance in a way that feels immediate and alive.

The process itself is intuitive. I often begin without a fixed plan, allowing the ink to move across the surface, guided by gravity, gesture, and instinct. There’s a conversation that happens between the material and the mark. The ink pools, separates, and dries in ways that can’t be fully predicted. My role is not to control it entirely, but to respond, adjusting, intervening, or stepping back when needed.

I am always searching for that moment that echoes the view from above, the point where representation dissolves and abstraction takes over. From altitude, colour and pattern merge into something unified. Landscapes flatten, boundaries soften, and distinctions begin to blur. What remains is a sense of continuity, a world without edges, where everything connects.

There is also a personal connection to the material itself. The use of aluminum is a subtle nod to the industry that shaped much of my life, the aircraft I flew for over two decades. It carries with it a history of movement, travel, and perspective. In this context, the material becomes more than a surface; it becomes part of the narrative.

On both aluminum and mylar, these impressions emerge through layering. I build the surface gradually, allowing each stage to inform the next. Some areas are left open and minimal, while others accumulate density and detail. The contrast between these spaces creates rhythm, tension, and a sense of movement across the piece.

There is an element of permanence in working this way. Because the materials don’t absorb the ink in a traditional sense, the marks sit on the surface, visible, direct, and unhidden. There is no ability to bury mistakes beneath layers. Instead, each mark becomes part of the final work, contributing to its honesty and presence.

This body of ink work is currently on display with Hamilton Artists Inc., where the pieces are presented as part of an ongoing exploration of material, movement, and perspective.

At its core, the work reflects a boundless world. From above, there are no borders, only a continuous field of land, water, and human presence. The divisions we hold onto dissolve, revealing something more fundamental: we are not separate from one another, but part of the same whole.