Earth is the ultimate canvas for artist David Popa. His oeuvre centers on a unique collaboration with the land, creating massive murals on the likes of a pristine sandbank in Norway, hardened lava in Iceland, and a protruding rock in Finland. The powerful imagery, often figurative, remains only until the land reclaims it. His work confronts the uncomfortable truth that it will most certainly disappear, adding a sense of preciousness to every in-person viewing. Once the mural has vanished, it lives on as photographs and videos.
Popa’s latest series is titled RENEWAL and features three realistic portrait pieces within the wintry landscape of Alberta, Canada. In collaboration with Travel Alberta, Popa spent nearly two weeks exploring the natural beauty of the province, culminating in work on Abraham Lake and in Cline River Canyon.
“My time in Alberta was unbelievable,” Popa says. “We really left no stone unturned to be able to go onto Abraham Lake, which is just one of the most beautiful canvases I’ve experienced—especially for my work on the ice. It gave us absolutely everything, from deep cold temperatures, to really warm cracking ice, beautiful deep turquoise, the bubbles were amazing to even the windswept snow. It really gave us everything. The window of time we had to create these pieces was just unbelievable.”
The monumental murals—measuring between 75 and 135 feet long—feature fragments of faces with eyes closed, as if they are about to enjoy a deep, satisfying breath of fresh air. The sentiment is one of relief: “I’ve finally arrived.” Popa produced the portraits by hand using charcoal in a spraying device to coat the ice and snow. The effect creates subtle dimensionality so that the figures stand out while still complementing the surrounding environment.
Creating work outdoors always means Popa has to contend with the elements, and RENEWAL was no different. But frigid temperatures and brutal winds didn’t stop him from producing breathtaking work in which both human and nature’s artistry are on display.
“Overall, it was an absolutely incredible experience,” Popa shares. “I feel like I’m going to need weeks—maybe months—to process what happened. I created everything I could have imagined in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, with some of the most beautiful people. It felt like every time we pushed the envelope, a weather window opened. It honestly felt miraculous.”
Earth is the ultimate canvas for artist David Popa.
He creates massive land murals that will eventually disappear back into the landscape.
Popa’s latest series is titled RENEWAL and features three realistic portrait pieces within the wintry landscape of Alberta, Canada.
In collaboration with Travel Alberta, Popa spent nearly two weeks exploring the natural beauty of the province, culminating in work on Abraham Lake and in Cline River Canyon.
“We really left no stone unturned to be able to go onto Abraham Lake, which is just one of the most beautiful canvases I’ve experienced—especially for my work on the ice,” Popa says of his time there. “It gave us absolutely everything, from deep cold temperatures, to really warm cracking ice, beautiful deep turquoise, the bubbles were amazing to even the windswept snow.”
The monumental murals—measuring between 75 and 135 feet long—feature fragments of faces with eyes closed, as if they are about to enjoy a deep, satisfying breath of fresh air.
