The Story Behind "Skyborne"

Skyborne

Black-Capped Petrel

 36 x 24 in | Graphite on Yupo | 2025

Endangered due to collisions with ships and offshore structures, as well as habitat destruction and light pollution that disorients the birds, leading  to collisions with wires and buildings during breeding season. The Black-capped Petrel comes to land only to breed—in the mountains of a Caribbean island, between November and May. Just one egg will be laid, and during this time the Petrel will feed chiefly at night, flying miles to forage at sea. After breeding, they return to the open ocean and fly as far as the coast of the Mid-Atlantic. An estimated 500-1000 breeding pairs remain. They are one of the rarest seabirds. 

In this piece, a woman carries light into the petrel’s mountainous breeding grounds. She reaches toward a patch of untouched sky, symbolizing our longing to protect what’s wild, even as we illuminate it into danger.