This fantasia is an artistic meditation on the nature of trees and forests using a variety of styles and techniques. Among my many influences are Kandinsky, Klimpt, the Fauves, the Canadian Group of Seven, Pollock, Brancusi, and many others.

All my life I have been passionate about art as well as science. With my science background, I am always aware of the natural forces that shape the universe. I see not only the lyrical beauty of landscapes and skyscapes, but also the beauty of the mathematics of nature that a scientist experiences. I try to convey that beauty in my works.

I have spent a great deal of my life walking through various forests. Years ago, I built log home on a hilltop in the woods. I have lived there ever since.

Why bubbles? Because the sphere is the ubiquitous geometry of the universe, from stars down to elementary particles, I often create pieces that are filled with circles to represent these spheres. I call these works my bubblescapes. I sometimes get mesmerized as I work and don’t know when to stop adding my circles. I also feel that the circles present an attractive design element in my works.

Why trees? For me, trees illustrate a fundamental aspect of the mathematical beauty of nature, chaos theory. An oak, elm, maple, etc. is easily identifiable by its morphology. The branching algorithms are quite simple, but each tree is individually sculpted by its environment, resulting in a unique shape. Even the kiss of a butterfly’s wing can greatly change the shape of a growing tree over time. Every tree has a story.

All of Nature is ruled by simple algorithms and yet can generate limitless complexity. Small variations grow exponentially with time. No two snowflakes are alike, no two galaxies are alike.

Painted on my ipad with my Apple pencil.

Deep within the earth’s crust and upper mantle, fissures open up. Minerals dissolved in superheated water and gasses are deposited in the cavities. If this process is slow enough, the different minerals will solidify into distinct bands.

These musings are works that I created on my ipad to familiarize myself with the Apple Pencil. I recently acquired this tool and I find the potential very exciting. I used to try to draw on my ipad with my finger and was frustrated by the crudeness of my sketches. My previous works were created on a computer using a mouse, which also felt awkward. I am amazed by the precision of line that I can achieve with the Pencil, as well as the ability to stroke with flair. The App that I use is Procreate. It is easy to use, but has many of the powerful features of Photoshop, such as layers and masking, and the ability to select any color. And dozens of brushes and textures.
These three images, as well as the two previous images from my “Geology” series were created entirely on my ipad (while sitting on the porch watching the birds and squirrels in my garden).

Another piece from my “Geology” series.
In my teenage years was a serious rockhound. I spent many days exploring the Canadian Shield in northern Ontario, armed with my rock hammer. Using old prospector claim maps, I would go deep into the bush to find minerals and gems that were left over from the digs.
I continue to be excited by geological processes in the earth’s mantle and am trying to express that in my art.