After investing more than two years drawing the various elements that I had designed for the forest trails with the Dorset Project I was concerned that the works in two dimensions were limiting how I was depicting them. That’s when it struck me – bring the design into the third dimension to truly capture the essence of navigating this landscape.

Creating a film emerged as the ideal medium for expressing these ideas and I set out laying out the twenty-four stills for a storyboard which describes a hiker’s movement through the forest. (refer to my photo below as the storyboard was taking shape)

As the storyboard neared completion, I then realized that the ink line stills were not conveying the effects that I was imagining for the film. It was then that I decided to create charcoal illustrations of each frame. This would give me a better sense of the visuals I’d been imagining, as the trails were illuminated at night by natural and man-made sources.

In the opening sequence of this series of charcoal illustrations, the camera glides over The Lake of Bays, (upper left image). The shoreline is illuminated by the lights of cottages and boathouses. As the camera descends over Rabbit Bay, a light show can be seen within the oval clearing. Here, spotlights radiate into the night sky, illuminating the edges of the trees which enclose the oval.

The contrast between the dark roof of the cottage/interpretive center, and the light emanating from beneath it, becomes more intense as the camera moves closer. Once reaching the oval the camera reveals a small gathering assembled within the space, a bonfire and a spotlight emanating from the cottage, illuminating the ribs of the Ark Sculpture. (see detail below).

The camera then drops into the oval, turns north, and proceeds to trace the forest paths, revealing the entirety of the routes I’ve planned throughout this master-planned park.

Once I had finished these charcoal drawings, I realized that any further development of this project should be included in a subsequent publication. I decided that the completed film would have to wait until the project’s next phase.

With the book documenting the first five years of the Dorset Project almost complete, and the printing of limited copies on the horizon, I’ve already started a new project file for the next series of photos, drawings, models, and the film which will capture the design and implementation of this unfolding project. Creating these definite milestones, every five years, for The Dorset Project will ensure I am properly documenting each phase of its development.

In the fall of 2023, Toronto artist/architect/photographer Michael Awad, who has been following the progress of this project on my Instagram account at howard.rideout, gave me some wise advice: “move slowly, Howard, this project is asking this of you.” I’m taking that suggestion to heart as I dive into Phase 2 of The Dorset Project. I’m eager to see what lies ahead over the next metaphorical hillside.

As we begin a new year, we are now taking pre-orders for the book version of the Dorset Project – 2019-2023. A limited edition of one hundred hardcover signed copies of this 200-page full-color book will be available later in 2024. This collection of writings, photography, and illustrations documents my artistic adventures over the last five years. Drop me an email at howard.rideout@howardrideoutarch.com if you want to secure your pre-order.