Some places stay with you long after you leave them. A mountain ridge disappearing into clouds. Golden larches scattered across a rocky hillside. A quiet lake you reached after spending most of the day questioning how much farther it could possibly be.
Head in the Wilds grew out of wanting to bring a little of that feeling home.
Over the years, hiking and climbing have given me plenty of photographs and stories to share through hike2hike. But some of those images felt like they could become something else, too. I wanted to turn them into artwork that could live beyond a trip report—on a sticker, a coffee mug, or something you take along on your next adventure.
Much of the artwork here begins with photographs from my own time outdoors. I enjoy seeing how a familiar scene changes when translated into a painting or illustration: which details stand out, which can fall away, and how the colors capture the feeling of being there.
There’s also room for the less majestic side of outdoor life. The questionable decisions, missing toenails, early starts, and things we somehow remember fondly after calling them miserable at the time. A little Type 2 fun belongs here alongside the quiet mountain scenery.
This blog will be a place to share the photographs behind the designs, the trips that inspired them, and the process of turning those moments into artwork. If you’ve followed my trip reports, you might recognize a few places.
Head in the Wilds is just getting started, and I’m looking forward to sharing what comes next.
Have a look around, find something that reminds you of a place you love, and take the wild with you.