"Keweenaw" is a Native American word that means "portage or place where portage is made". The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northernmost portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and is formed from tilted strata of volcanic rock that form both the Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale. The ancient lava flows of the Keweenaw Peninsula were produced during the Mesoproterozoic Era as a part of the Midcontinent Rift between 1.096 and 1.087 billion years ago. This volcanic activity produced the only strata on Earth where large-scale economically recoverable 97 percent pure native copper is found.

The Keweenaw  has called to me since I first visited the region in 2012.  With its pastel sky's and dark rocky shores, the keweenaw is a landscape of great tonal contrast. It is a true yin and yang.

My work in this region has mainly focused on the  rugged strata that forms the shoreline however there is a softer, warmer side to be found in the Keweenaw as well. Lush greenery can be found in its forests and along its waterfalls and lakes in the interior of the peninsula. A great feeling of solitude and calm fill my soul when I am alone in the Keweenaw and it's ancient topography and tonal contrasts draw me in every time I walk its shores.