Adverse Possession #3, 2026, charcoal and pastel on paper, 24 x 30 in. / 60.96 x 76.2 cm.

Adverse Possession #3, Michele Tilley, 2026, charcoal and pastel on paper, 24 x 30 in. / 60.96 x 76.2 cm.

This series explores the tension between the sublime and the functional—the way mountain ridges dissolve into morning fog, while bulldozers rest below. Nature’s beauty is not meant to be owned or conquered, only witnessed. In contrast, construction equipment represents our impulse to shape