June 11, 2020
What continuously draws me to painting is the same feeling I get walking in the woods, kayaking on an open pond, or snowshoeing up a hill. It is calming, meditative and embracing. The scenes I choose resonate in me a sense of belonging, of being “home” and yes, some reminiscence. Painting keeps me connected to myself and to the grounding that nature gifts me. It helps me feel truly grateful for my senses and emotions, in addition to boosting my mental and physical health. I feel honored and excited to share with others more opportunities to connect with their own pauses and healing both in and of nature. I revel in how art embodying the natural world can bring transcendent memories indoors.
I am inspired by nature; many of my works are interpretations from photos and my memory of that experience being in the landscape. I employ a loose stippling effect, blotting with rags as well as using line and blocks of color, resulting in an atmospheric effect. The wait in between layers of slow drying oils lends to my preferred pace, contemplative yet deliberately playful. The physical act of making marks on canvas allows me to put pause between the never ending trails of responsibilities and cycling loops of thought that do not serve; thereby creating space to breathe and releasing anxiety through expression. Nature does not hurry, it offers surprises and expected comforts, as I feel my images project. Many people can look up in a stand of trees and know they are going to feel the majestic pull and expansiveness…but then the sun slices through or a swoosh of wind makes the tops dance!
