The Sea is the Sky is a body of minimal gradient paintings based on an expedition to the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard in 2018. Spending two weeks aboard tall ship Antigua, I was struck by the feeling of interconnection with my home in Minnesota.

I traveled to the Arctic to research the skies, atmosphere - to see first hand and how the Arctic is changing with climate change. At passport control in Oslo on the way through the airport, the agent asked me if I was going there to watch the ice melt. Foolishly, I said yes and parroted something about climate change. Doesn’t everyone know that the Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet? I think he actually rolled his eyes at my response.

The truth is, what I saw there was a breathtaking pristine landscape.

What I learned over those few weeks is a lesson in the pace of time and interconnection. It may be impossible to actually visualize most of the effects of climate change within a window of a few days. How arrogant of me to think I’d see it otherwise. The agent was right: I couldn’t really SEE the ice melting. But what I did see is the opportunity to see a place in all of its beauty and wonder. I feel still panicked by the damage that humans may ultimately cause in the Arctic, even more so now than before I visited. But this trip showed me the value of falling in love with a place. To me, it’s real and tangible. I can envision the changes over time. I will remember the smells, the light, the cold.

Anything I can do to help keep this vast place as it is, I will.

You can read more about my experience on my blog.