One year ago, fire erupted at Eagle Creek in the Columbia River Gorge because of a teen playing with fireworks, ultimately destroying 48,000 acres of protected land. Ash fell from the sky in Portland as people somberly walked around as if walking through cremated ashes of a loved one, because to so many Portlanders, the Gorge was a place of escape and peace, and for me personally, one of the major reason's I came to the Northwest four years ago.
As a way of mourning and dealing with the events I gathered ash that fell on various surfaces and broke it down into a paintable pigment. As I started to research wild fires and wildfire ecology, the theme started to veered away from destruction and became more about the newly fertile soil and life that comes from it. I hope to continue this series on a national level to bring awareness of human intervention in natural areas, fire ecology, climate change, and the people who fight fires and manage our forests.