In recent years Russell Crotty has produced a group of works on paper, such as books, drawings, and “globe drawings,” that record his empirical observation of the night sky. Crotty creates works such as Great Comet over the Acid Hill by combining methods used by historical astronomers with his own innovative techniques, translating onsite sketches into drawings inked with countless tiny pen strokes. While the careful craftsmanship recalls Old Master drawings, Crotty sees himself as an artist-scientist hybrid, bridging empirical observation and poetic imagination in his work.