Ore. map maker's 'magnum opus' puts him on the map

 KVAL is KATU's sister station in Eugene.

HARRISBURG, Ore. - Off a rural road that sees more sheep than cars, a farm house serves as an artist's studio for David Imus.

The University of Oregon graduate has spent three decades making maps, which he calls "functional wall art."

And like the iconic starving artist, making maps calls for sacrifices.

"Two months ago I was keeping the heat low in the house and putting on a lot of clothes because I'm like, I'm running out of money," Imus told KVAL News.

Things are changing for Imus. He has gone from selling 12 maps per month to over 8,000 in one week alone.

Imus spent more than 7,000 hours over two years crafting "The Essential Geography of the United States of America."
    
"This is my magnum opus right here," he said. "The map tries to show the principal cities and towns of the United States.

Imus beat out National Geographic and the U.S. Census Bureau to win Best of Show from the Cartography and Geographic Information Society.

The winning map is unlike any other.

The map notes the elevations of all major cities, mountains and lakes; depicts forestation by shades of green and urban areas by shades of yellow.

And he did it by himself, meticulously arranging fonts, names and shades.

But winning alone didn't change his fortunes.

"A guy who's been a struggling artist for decades wins all these awards, makes the best map ever made of the United States," Imus said, "and no one is paying any attention."

An article in Slate magazine changed all that, sparking the sharp increase in sales of his maps.
    
"Most artists need to pass away before their work is recognized," Imus said, "but I'm gratified I'm able to be recognized."

And his subject matter - Oregon, the Eagle Cap Wilderness area and the United States, to name a few - retains a hold on the artist.

"As far as we know, this is the most fascinating and exotic planet in the universe," said Imus. "If that doesn't impress you, what the heck does?"