2025.01.23 Traveling Through the Scree of the Brooks Range, Alaska

This drawing was prompted by reading Tom’s Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski — specifically, the way the characters move through vast fields of scree, navigating terrain that feels both physically demanding and psychologically consuming. As I read, I was reminded of traveling through Atigun Pass, looking out at mountains covered in loose stone and wondering how anyone ever managed to cross them.The drawing reflects that memory and imagined movement: layered ridges, steep slopes, and fractured ground unfolding across the page. Loose, directional line work traces the instability of the terrain, while gray washes build weight and depth, suggesting both scale and effort. There is no clear path—only gradual passage through a landscape that resists ease.Part of my ongoing Morning Practice series, this original drawing explores how reading, memory, and lived experience intersect—how a written description can reawaken a physical sensation and compel a return to place through drawing.