My entry for the Bring Your Vision to Life contest. In keeping part with the spirit of the competition, I decided to do this digitally using my tablet. This is done entirely in Corel Painter IX, which through doing this piece, I think I've started to get the hang of the program.

For the competition, I didn't want to do something so typical of 'good vs. evil' such as what we see in popular culture. As I thought about what I consider 'evil,' I didn't think of any physical beings, but rather a state of the world. This, therefore, is a glance at the state of our planet, and the battle between 'good' (the natural world) and 'evil' (pollution and over-consumption).

The effects of this can be seen all around us, in the form of strip malls and housing developments, sprawling for as far as the eye can see. When I first went to Montana, I was awestruck by the wide-open space. Where I was standing, I could see nothing but sky and open land all around me. That feeling stuck with me even today, and serves as a reminder that there is a world outside the cage of cities.

Many people argue about the 'purpose' of art, and I have come to realize that if there's one thing I hope my art can accomplish, it is to move people's hearts enough to do something about the damage and destruction. To encourage people to think about their actions and help stop the sprawl around us.

Hopefully this little bird can do its part, even if it only has a few leaves and acorns. I honestly think the battle isn't over yet, and as a whole, we humans have the strength to make things right.

Detail: [link]

_{Corel Painter IX, Wacom Intuos 3 tablet, 11X14 inches}