Home on the Range

This artwork was created for the 2020 Desktopography.net release. At the time, I had been playing Red Dead Redemption 2, a game set in the Wild West, and took great inspiration from the immersive experiences I enjoyed while my character explored the rugged landscapes and abundant wildlife. As an Alberta native, I found the scenery in the game was not all that dissimilar to the beautiful landscapes just outside my front door. I set out to craft a piece that paid tribute to the beauty of my home province, with a touch of surrealism inspired by nature, double-exposure photography, and minimalist aesthetics.

How it was made

Believe it or not, this piece began as a happy accident. I set out to create something else entirely, but I had a bit of designers block, so I opened up a new blank canvas and started dragging elements like the bison and the mountain range into Photoshop. Before I knew it, inspiration struck and I had the makings of a fresh new composition which continued to take shape as I introduced other landscape elements.

I wanted to give the piece a sense of life, motion, and energy while still remaining sterile and minimal in execution. Preferring clean desktop backgrounds, I emphasized the subject matter in the middle of the screen with plenty of white space framing it. This allows plenty of room for icons to be positioned within the white space, leaving the artwork as unobstructed as possible.

Hidden within the piece are a man and his dog, a signature feature I've been including in my artwork for years. These hold a certain personal significance for me, and their stealthy inclusion allows people familiar with my artwork to take a more active role by looking for the hidden figures.

About Desktopography

The Desktopography project began in 2005 as a curated collection of nature / topological themed wallpapers created by selected designers. The wallpapers can be downloaded in a variety of sizes and resolutions, and the contributions are always mindblowing. Do yourself a favour and check it out!

It seems the project has been indefinitely shelved, but I was thrilled to be included in the 2020 and perhaps final Desktopography exhibition. I've been a fan since the start, and have had the honor of contributing a number of times over the years.