This Portland Mercury cover story is about the strange and inaccurate maps drawn by early explorers of the Pacific Northwest.
I represented the idea of imagination by illustrating a person with their head in the clouds. Above the clouds is a scene depicting beavers, pine trees and Mt. Hood; three representations of Oregon.
Other references to maps described in the article include the mythical Strait of Anián; a thin waterway separating the West Coast from Asia. To illustrate this concept, Japan is visible in the distance represented by Mt. Fuji and a torii gate.
Near the coast are three rock pillars representing the De Fuca pillar and its surrounding rock formations. Juan De Fuca was an early Greek explorer of the region. Although there is some uncertainty over his existence, his accurate description of this rock pillar lends credence to his account of the area.
The article can be read here: