Grounding Stones: Drawings

This work was created during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020. During this time I sought to connect with the geologic features of Oakland, California, where I live and work. Grounding stones are tools for coping with anxiety. One might carry a stone in their pocket and rub it when tensions feel high. I managed my anxiety by drawing, making graphite rubbings of Ribbon Chert and Serpentinite rocks exposed alongside hiking trails and local neighborhood roads. Accompanied by my one year old and partner, each week for six months of 2020, I would set out onto local trails to create rubbings. After rubbings were collected, I took my drawings to the studio where I highlighted, erased, and rendered different elements of the composition to create collaborative drawings with the rocks.