My drawings were inspired by the various forms of lichens that can be found in the mountainous area where I live. At first, from a distance,
I was curious to see the moss in the forest. Now, I see the lichens everywhere in daily life and am attracted by their various forms and subtle colorings.
Lichen is a unique organism composed of a fungus and a photosynthetic partner (the photobiont), which may be an algae or a cyanobacteria, that are in a relationship that is symbiotic. Depending on the amount of light and moisture they receive, the lichens will grow into different forms and colors.
The habitat of most lichens is moist and decaying wood and leaves and can exist in many layers on living and decomposing organisms. I am interested in abstract images I see in the patterns of lichens in nature. The lichens grow freely in an infinite variety of complex forms.
My drawings are with pen and ink on white paper, which I feel can capture the delicate textures, shapes, values and lines found in the abstract imagery of lichens.