This piece is part of a series of work I did on the Gulf Oil Spill. It is impressionist in style because I was fortunate enough to actually be able to get onto an oil rig and see how they work.

I visited the Gulf in May 2010 to witness the catastrophe firsthand. During my week on the Gulf Coast, I traveled from the marshlands of Louisiana to the lesser visited but still very much affected coastlines of Mississippi, Alabama and northern Florida. I had the opportunity to see and feel the environment of the Gulf, to talk with all different types of people impacted by the spill – residents, tourists, law enforcement, and oil rig workers, who were some of the most interesting, compelling people I've met. I also participated in the clean-up effort directly, every day.

Only through this experience was I able to understand and communicate the profound enormity of the devastation that occurred. Through photos, sketches, interviews, and collecting actual samples of the toxic materials that were spread across the coastline, I was able to produce a series of artwork dedicated to heightening consciousness around the event.