094 - Northern Drift

(For consideration: NEAC Climate Emergency Prize) "Northern Drift" is an exploration of remembered landscapes, a dialogue between the rugged, ancient topography of my homeland of the Canadian Shield and the soft, shifting atmosphere of the English Midlands, where I now live. This work is a way of feeling into the past while looking toward future experiences. By layering acrylic with the structure of graphite and coloured pencil on panel, I am attempting to reconcile the permanence of the rocky North with the fleeting, diffused light of my current environment. The piece reflects the fragility of our landscapes, where even the most ancient structures are now subject to a sense of dissolution and drift. It addresses the climate crisis by highlighting the loss of environmental certainty and the blurring boundaries between land and atmosphere.