The Art of Nature

I’m student of nature.

A fossil hunter.

A storm watcher.

And hopeful believer that the natural world is full of beautiful lessons waiting to be shared. All it takes is the courage to discover it and connect with its magic.

I grew up on the short grass prairie of the Smoky Hills, and often thought that people who live here are deeply connected to it. We notice the geese migrating; sense thunderstorms forming on the horizon; and take note when the Cottonwoods change. Because we depend on the land for our livelihood, it makes us keen observers.

Like my Celtic ancestors before me, living in nature affords me the opportunity to see Spirit in all things natural and beautiful. Nature shows we are connected to everything and each other. That the world is alive with voice, story and joy. We are a community.

Too often though, busy lifestyles separate us from nature and each other, so I aim to connect people to earth wisdom using organic elements. Paintings begin with thick, hand-made texture made of ground stone and soil, setting the stage for acrylic paint and carefully layered earth material.

Iron oxidized to rust represents fleeting time.

Prairie soil suggests fallowness and rest.

Collected rainwater holds the power of the thunder beings.

Ash, smoke and cedar berries contain sacred plant medicine.

Found cottonwood bark holds the secrets of the Whisper Tree.

Earth pigments and native grass are also used.

Stones are central to my art-making because they record earth history. I love to wander the prairie for the perfect fossil-laden limestone, evidence that this part of the world was once an ancient ocean. I slowly grind stones with a mortar and pestle and gently fold the grains into paint, so the history of the land rests in each painting.

Together, it is my hope that this art gives rise to a new and hopeful interpretation of the American Prairie.