Recently I have been creating geometric tonal pieces that are based on local places. They take their character from the urban landscape of Taupo, using photo references from the street furniture and the working boat harbour.  Although geometric in form; they are still created intuitively. I enjoy the wide variety of tonal variation that can be created using a simple pencil and the way in which the type of paper that is used also changes the appearance. I usually begin with a framework of line and then play with the collaged pieces until I have a pleasing design. After that, the tones are set, paying particular attention to where shapes butt against one another, creating visual tension with a mix of white and black space. 

The local landscapes are created with conte crayon on the same textured paper, using varying pressure to create the tonal variation.