Wissahickon Idyll is an homage to Philadelphia’s beautiful Wissahickon Valley Park, a place that has brought great peace to my life and was a source of enormous comfort  during the pandemic. As climate change and human impact continue to threaten our natural resources, Wissahickon Idyll is also a plea for stewardship and sustainability.  In this piece I depict the glory and grit of the Wissahickon, with its rugged trails, towering trees, gentle creek, and vibrant, twittering creatures. The work begins with the  sparseness of a quiet dawn, with snippets of song slowly forming into dialogue. The changing terrain emerges through a freely flowing structure, while motives recur like  birds flitting through the trees. The trajectory of the piece is shaped by the mindfulness of a morning walk; there is no intended climax, only the quiet fulfillment of commune with the woods.

-