Atmospheric Scintillations Series

Sunsets along the Front Range are glorious. They are so vibrant the sky sometimes looks to be on fire. Our vantage point on the east side of the Rocky Mountains offers us a spectacular range in color, clarity, and shape. Our high altitude – a mile above sea level – places us above cloud forms that tend to dilute the brilliance of colors for those closer to sea level. In addition, the dryness of our air intensifies colors. Moreover, we are often in the path of wildfire smoke, which further intensifies the color display.

I am fascinated by the science of how we perceive this celestial spectacle. Sunsets are a result of light scattering off various particles such as air molecules, cloud ice crystals, smoke particles, and pollutants. At the beginning and end of the day, the low angle of the sun filters out short light wavelengths as they scatter away on its lengthened path to our eyes, leaving us with a sky adorned in longer wavelength hues of reds, oranges, and golds.

It is the concept of scattering or scintillation that I aim to capture in this series by creating a joyful syncopation of color, contrast, and pattern. To reflect the intricate beauty, irregularity, and fragility of twilight, I carefully selected motifs of dot patterns, wood grain figures, and Rocky Mountain lichens from my collection of silkscreens and relief blocks. I then printed each piece numerous times to create a lively tapestry of reds, oranges, golds, and purples and added translucent white lacy lichens on top to create a sense of light filtering through clouds.

The end result is akin to gazing upon a tiny fragment of a resplendent sunset. It is my sincere hope that each artwork evokes the same delight I experience when beholding a sky ablaze with vivid colors and acts as a reminder to take the time to appreciate nature.