Hi, my name’s Joe and I like to camp and make cool art…

GAIAN33R is my outlet for those interests and the name combines “Gaia” with “pioneer” and internet l33t speak, because that’s cool also.

Instead of drawing plants as I see them, I study their patterns until I can turn them any which way in my mind. This allows me to draw, stage, and compose the plants on a page in a way that supports the allure of the image - even if I’m no longer staring at my subject. It’s what excites me about the whole process: I like to know my subject enough to wield it, then develop absolutely bomb-ass images out of their patterns.

I’m currently obsessing over the single-leaf pinyon pine common around the mountains of eastern California and Nevada, such as in the Sierras and the White and Inyo Mountains, parts of Death Valley, and the Basin and Range.

In my Store you can find originals to hang on your wall, but I must warn you! There’s a good chance they’ll tempt you toward nature, to relax in the grandeur of her brilliant patterns.

For sheer entertainment, check out my Blog for stories and thoughts on camping and making art.