Full Spectrum

2024
20″ x 16″ x 2.5″ (felt on canvas in black floating frame)
Status: Sivertson Gallery, Grand Marais, MN

Inspired by a brief aurora borealis display captured early in the evening on February 26, 2023, near the end of the Gunflint Trail. Like many of my pieces, the sky’s vibrant colors starkly contrast a shadowed Northwoods treeline where each tree species is created using different needles and techniques.

Aurora appear when atoms and molecules in the atmosphere collide with particles from the Sun. Green auroras are caused by oxygen at altitudes around 60-100 miles, while hints of purple, blue, or pink are caused by nitrogen. Red auroras are also caused by oxygen but at much higher altitudes, where the atmosphere is much less dense.