Sea of Cortez Prints

The Sea of Cortez series originates from drawings based on my scuba diving experiences in the central Gulf of California near Guaymas, Sonora, and along the Baja California Sur coastline. These works are grounded in direct observation of the marine environment and reflect extended time spent underwater.

Source imagery is captured using a Nikonos V amphibious 35mm film camera, a system originally developed from Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s Calypso design. The photographs are transferred to archival digital prints on 100% cotton rag paper, with no digital manipulation or enhancement.

From each photograph, a line drawing is developed and enlarged to the final image scale. This drawing is placed beneath a sheet of clear plexiglass, onto which oil-based inks are applied by hand. Using sgraffito techniques, details are incised directly into the inked surface. The completed image is then transferred onto archival paper using an etching press, producing a unique monotype print.

Once dry, soft pastel is applied selectively to deepen contrast and soften the surface texture created by the monotype process. The resulting works balance photographic realism with painterly and graphic elements.

The series includes both intimate portrait studies and expansive marine vistas drawn from the Sea of Cortez.

Over a two-year period, the project resulted in fifteen large-scale works measuring 30 × 40 inches, along with more than twenty smaller pieces in various formats. Eight of the large works were donated to the Healing Arts Program at Tucson Medical Center and are permanently installed in the Richmond Corridor Gallery, Tucson, Arizona. For more information, visit the Tucson Medical Center (TMC) Healing Arts Program.