This painting of the spawning cycle of coho salmon interweaves with several aspects of the map- it illustrates the remarkable migration that these fish make from the sea inland to breed, and also addresses the fragmented land use across those spaces the salmon must traverse. The checkerboard effect you see in the map is the remnant of an old law granting every other square mile of land to railroads to encourage population growth along potential rail lines. When those railroads were either completed or abandoned, the unsold land defaulted to the Bureau of Land Management. Between the BLM’s land use grants to various industries and the numerous private owners of the remaining parcels of land, a different owner with a different agenda governs every single mile that a salmon passes through. This makes the journey of a researcher trying to get a clear picture of the lives of migratory animals almost as difficult as the journeys of the animals themselves.
I am a freelance illustrator from the mountain town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In 2016 I graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration. I am currently located in Eugene, Oregon.
My upbringing in a wild space in the mountains has greatly influenced how I see the world and the art I create. A lifelong love for nature and animals has guided my work into the realm of conservation. My goal is to use artwork to engage the public in learning about what's going on in the natural world and what we can do ...
This is a gallery-quality giclée art print on 100% cotton rag archival paper, printed with archival inks. Each art print is listed by sheet size and features a minimum one-inch border.
