Drawings, Water Cycle

I am behind in posting sketches -- will try to catch up over the next few days. As you can see, I have been trying out new directions, trying to be open without judgement as I sketch outdoors. Will sort out whats useful and relevant later in studio.

I have been thinking a lot about the different roles trees play in watersheds, especially here in Vilas County in Northen Wisconsin where there are "1,300 glacial lakes and 73 wild and winding rivers and streams" per the Vilas County Department of Tourism. Trees are an important part of the water cycle, taking water in through roots and transporting up through the trunk to nourish the leaves which are actively taking inorganic carbon out the atmosphere (human pollutants) and converting to organic carbon--the body of the tree and its leaves.

Water is transpired--exhaled--through the leaves on sunny windy days, helping to stabilize moisture levels in a region. I've been thinking about how to abstractly incorporate these processes in my work--here are some of the drawings I made out on the trail or in the kayak. These will feed my studio work when I am back to my studio in Madison.

Now its time to prepare for today's explorations.

You can see the crinkled corner where the strong wind flipped the pages that day. Temps were in the low forties the week these sketches were made.