Its always tricky starting  a new body of work - its scary and thrilling at the same time. I try to immerse myself in what I'm interested in and then get all my materials out and see what happens. With this project I feel that the works need to be layered, with so many stories and history I can't picture the pieces any other way. I've started my first new works very simply, dying fine papers with inks for texture and exploring various line types. The image here is a detail from one of these first pieces called Pledge. The work is built up on an ink dyed washi base and then I have explored various ways of layering irrigation channels. The road mapping comes next and then blocks. I have selected particular blocks with their original numbers and names and others are simply painted out in gold. I need to get hold of some better map copies to really get into some large layouts but as preliminary pieces I'm pretty happy with the aesthetic. 

Maps will be a critical element to these works so I'm starting out with lines and block forms from copies of original land scheme maps. I've always found maps to be really exciting and can be so beautiful and diverse. I love the different line types and weights and tonal techniques used for old and new. In my first degree I studied environmental design focused on architectural interior work. We learnt to draft by hand and I came to love the process, there is a rhythm to it, methodical mark-making. In my work I approach the production as a meditative process and take time with the detail.