Precarious and playful illustrations of piles of animals found in the southwest.
This series brings together the wildlife of the Southwest in playful, precarious stacks that sit somewhere between realism and imagination. What began with Horny Toad Hill grew into an exploration of character, balance, and the quiet humor found in regional species.
Each stack highlights animals that share the same landscapes, revealing their individuality while inviting a moment of levity and curiosity. Though the compositions are improbable, the species and their ecological details remain rooted in the Southwest, honoring the creatures that define these desert and mountain environments.
Squirrel Stack
A whimsical stack of American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) all balanced delicately atop a single ponderosa pinecone (Pinus ponderosa). Red squirrels are common throughout northern North America and into the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains, where they are known for their lively energy and reliance on the seeds and cones of evergreen forests. This piece captures their spirited nature while grounding them in the wooded landscapes they call home.
Graphite
12” x 16”
Black Bear Butte
A family of three American black bears (Ursus americanus) piled on top each other. Black bears are found across most of Alaska, Canada, and the U.S., and while typically solitary, they often gather in family groups of mothers and cubs. This stack plays with the tenderness and weight of those relationships, bringing a sense of playful closeness to a species usually seen alone.
Graphite
11” x 14”
Horny Toad Hill
A pile of 6 greater short-horned lizards (Phrynosoma hernandesi). This piece was inspired by a hike in northern New Mexico where I spotted six horny toads in a single afternoon. The greater short-horned lizard is found throughout western North America.
Graphite
17” x 13”
Turtle Tower (once we were six)
This drawing explores the character and quiet drama of Southwestern wildlife arranged in delicate balance. Five desert box turtles (Terrapene ornata luteola) form a leaning tower while a sixth tumbles below, suggesting both fragility and playfulness within the stack. Each turtle is rendered with careful attention to shell texture, gesture, and shadow. The stack leans into whimsy, but the turtles themselves are grounded in the real desert ecosystems they inhabit, a reminder of both their resilience and the quieter risks they face.
Graphite
12” x 16”
Armadillo Alp
Three nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) form a small stack, the bottom armadillo caught mid-stride as if carrying the others forward. Armadillos are common throughout much of the Southwest, known for their steady, deliberate movement and armor-like plates. This piece plays with that sense of momentum—part journey, part balancing act—while keeping the animals’ characteristic forms at the center.
Graphite
11” x 14”