This piece began as an experiment in observation and patience.

Before David and I left for Taos, I tossed an entire sheet of illustration board into the back seat of the car with one goal—to improve my drawing skills through continuous contour drawing.

Throughout the trip, I drew hummingbirds whenever we stopped. If it was time to pack up and leave, I simply placed a tiny X where I stopped and continued from that exact point during the next session. By the time we returned home, nearly thirty hours of drawing had accumulated into one continuous journey across the page.

Although I loved the intricate network of contour lines, I felt the composition needed a stronger focal point. I drew three battling hummingbirds over the top using colored pencil and highlights of gesso, allowing them to emerge from the movement already created by the original drawing.

Rather than using a traditional mat, I extended the artwork into the mat itself by continuing the contour drawings in white, making the framing an essential part of the composition instead of something separate.

This artwork was selected for the 2025 Center for Contemporary Arts (CCAN) exhibition, marking an important milestone in my exploration of drawing, movement, and process.