I love to use natural materials in paintings so they carry the spirit of the land. I start with handmade stone texture and often apply charcoal/ash directly from a burnt twig or bark. I found local Eastern Red Cedar is malleable and works well.
I’m always looking for ways to incorporate organic material into paintings. Today, I’m using some beautiful wool from a biodynamic farm to blend soil and iron for an earth take on a new painting.
Those who live close to the land are sensitive to change in seasons, ever hopeful moisture will come for plants and animals turning the corner. I love the time when winter wheat begins to grow in expectation of one day ripening to golden perfection. At such times, nature reminds us there is a reward for nurturing small things. Acrylic with gathered wheat kernels, handmade stone texture and iron oxidized to rust to inspire growth. Sold to a lovely Midwestern family.
As we approach the spring storm season, I am contemplating the power of the prairie thunderstorm to clear a path. At such times, nature reminds us that even great disruptions eventually give way to beginnings. This piece features handmade stone texture containing wheat collected from last year’s harvest. It lends a beautiful texture and I love the symbolism of grain and stone forming the cloud. Made with acrylic and a combination of carefully selected earth elements, including iron, natural pigments and a touch of rainwater to connect you to the power of earth and sky, and inspire courage. Sold to a lovely Kansas family.
The natural beauty of the American Prairie inspires my paintings. The russet native grass. The chalky hues of limestone. The gravel gray roughness of a cottonwood trunk. So captivating, we often forget that the life we enjoy is sustained by the vast waters below.
The Ogallah aquifer is a vast underground reservoir that nourishes life across the American Great Plains. It is one of the world’s largest aquifers, but large-scale withdrawal has reduced its size. If the aquifer were depleted, some believe it may require up to 6,000 years of rainfall to replenish. This painting celebrates the life giving rain that helps recharge this groundwater. It contains prairie limestone and rust. 24×30 Sold to a collector in Kansas.
St Brigid’s Day, February 1, is the traditional start of a new farm year. Here on the prairie, it is often met with early spring winds and Canadian Geese gathering to migrate north.
