This design was commissioned as a gift to commemorate the dedication of a passionate trail runner.

Breath of Fresh Air: The background or “air” is composed of a poem that spoke to this individual’s purpose for running. I wrote the stanzas of the poem in a way to create a visualization of how air swirls and moves around and with a runner as they blaze their way down a trail.

The Pathway: The ground is made up of various trail running events this person has participated in. This section is angular representing the various terrain of a trail through nature. Some are flat, most are uneven, they rise, they fall, but all trails lead to destination we are pursing. Often times we seek those destinations for the view, to improve our physical fitness, set a personal record, escape from the city or a combination of those.

The Trail Runner: The runner is made up of individual words that are synonymous with the lifestyle, state of mind, and determination that comes with trail running.

Motion of the Artwork: I sought to create a sense of motion not only in the runner, but in the environment around her. To achieve this the air was written with silver ink and the ground written with gold ink. Both reflect light differently depending on where you stand and look at the image. Together this creates the illusion of movement as you look at the image from different angles such as being “ahead” of the runner, “behind” the runner, or “in stride” with the runner.