Drawings as Etchings

The Camino de Santiago has been walked for 1200 years as a Christian Pilgrimage route. It is alive and well today, pulsing with energy as over 100,000 people from around the globe walked it in 2010, considered a holy year. As I made this journey, I often felt as if I were walking through history in the footsteps of those who had traveled this route for centuries. Many places along the way have changed. But there are often places that seem to be much as they might have been hundreds of years ago.

I decided to use pen and ink drawings to illustrate selected places along the way, mainly because that would be more practical on a two month-long trek. I drew everyday, and even if I was unable to finish the drawing, I executed several thumbnail sketches. Often many hours were required to complete the detailed images. Creating art was an integral and very compelling part of my journey. I drew in meadows at the top of mountains, in cafes, sitting on my bunk bed while storms raged outside, standing in the middle of the road, and perched on city benches.

As my series of drawings began to take shape, I found them reminiscent of etchings from an earlier period. The Camino de Santiago thrived during the Middle Ages when etching was an art form used to document and portray imagery in an era before photography existed. Thoughtful design, a sensitive touch with line and texture to create beautiful half tones, and an attention to detail were necessary to create these extraordinary works of art. When my drawings emerged in a more complete form, I saw that they could readily bring past and present together using a classic style with a contemporary flavor. My intent was to communicate to the viewer my deeply felt-sense of mystery and mood, within the context of a realistic image. Drawing by hand bridges the past to the present with these humble materials of pen, ink and paper.