The winter season in the Northern latitudes is a great time to paint and go for intermittent walks in the forest. My studio practice can be feel a bit lonely a times, studio painting is somewhat of a solitary activity. I spend hours working on my paintings and being so close to the canvas I can easily forget the world that is outside my door. On days when I feel low energy, low mood, or my eyeballs hurt, I go off into the woods and explore. This is not new, I have been doing this since I was a kid. Perhaps that is why I continue to do it. It brings me back to who I am. Walking is the right tempo for my explorations, on occasion I will run, however when I walk I can hear and sense the environment I happen to immerse myself in. Fundamentally it is grounding and connects me with this place I call home. I enjoy finding animal tracks in the snow, and on occasion will follow them for as far as I can go. I imagine what it would be like to be a wild animal. It is likely some what of a primordial instinct that I like to keep sharp in a modern world that can be so techno-human-centric. When I go out to Nature I never feel alone, there is life all around, even if in the dead of winter. When I am out with Nature I gain appreciation for my home and all that it provides. People often ask me what inspires me. The answer is simple, Nature nurtures the art. I look at my art practice as a celebration of Nature’s graciousness. All the tools I use, the canvas, the paint, and the water comes from Nature. Nature sustains life. Basking in its energy and reciprocating gratitude is a must.
The video below is content for an ongoing series that combine my artistic practice with Nature. I am currently working on an art installation called ‘Valley Flow’ which will be presented sometime in 2023. Also thank you to the Columbia Basin Trust and the Columbia Kootenay Cultural alliance for their support.
Mahaloness 