Oil painting is my primary medium; however, my artistic practice expands into working with natural materials, Land Art, interactive sculpture, and community experiences. I focus on the subject matter of nature and the landscapes I experience. I am well-traveled and have made work about nature in other states and countries; however, upon re-settling back into my home state of Oklahoma in 2020, I have been impressed and intrigued by the diversity in its landscape. My current artistic goal is to explore all twelve eco-regions in Oklahoma and create multiple exhibitions about specific regions. Ultimately, it will cumulate into a grand exhibition of all the eco-regions in one place.
Exploration and connection are themes throughout my entire process as I make work that calls for active and contemplative engagement. My art practice encourages a eutierran relationship with the earth that is foundational to my personal Self. Eutierra meaning a “a good and positive feeling of oneness with the earth and its life forces. It arises when the ‘human-nature relationship is spontaneous and mutually enriching (symbiotic).” [1]
Exploration via adventure is the first step in my process- it is a way to understand the land better and discover what intrigues me in a place. I strongly believe in the power of adventure for cultivating new and authentic ideas- creativity thrives in this freed state of mind. Exploration also happens through my material choices, as I allow flexibility in my approach to each piece, I leave room for creativity and collaboration with my environment to help each project take shape. As I am walking through a landscape, I often find materials that can mimic manmade art supplies- dried clay or pigmented rocks act as colored pencils, wet clay as oil pastels, ground-up rock added to oil creates natural paint, bark collected from a lightning struck tree makes drawing charcoal. Sometimes, I bring canvas or thick oil paper to paint the first layers on site, adding physical elements from the area. I experiment with additions of acrylic paint, charcoal, and natural materials in my pieces to bring out a more visceral sense of place.
As balance is an important visual and emotional concept in my work, exploration is the active part of my process, while quiet connection is its complement. Connection means coming together and acknowledging a shared space. I recognize I am sharing the environment, so a mindset of recognition and gratitude to the land adds to a meaningful connection to the natural elements that will become my muse. Connection also happens through sharing my work and experiences in nature with others by inviting people to try creative ways of spending time outside to form their own authentic appreciation of the natural world.
For my larger oil paintings, I continue developing them back in my studio. Building the layers through glazing techniques to obtain the dynamic richness that only oil paint can create. I capture the image and energy of natural spaces through color, light, and movement. Humans have innate emotional responses to these visual elements; I understand this through the surge of energy that Rothko's paintings bring out and how that same stirring can happen when skies glow in multi-color or when sunlight is dappled through leaves. When I explore a new place in nature, I narrow down the main colors that stand out strongly during those experiences to use for the painting. I mimic the earth’s movements by playing with shifting light and color tones to create underlying rhythms.
My projects, such as “A Hike Through the Crosstimbers” and “Kayaking Turquoise Waters,” are examples of my larger interactive sculptures. In a “Hike Through the Crosstimbers,” viewers can walk around a large circular drawing inspired by trails at the Keystone Ancient Forest. In “Kayaking Turquoise Waters,” guests are encouraged to sit in an actual kayak in front of angled triptych paintings of the Illinois River surrounding their view.
My art and creativity take many forms, but it all comes from the same place. My artistic practice intends to use creativity and visual expression to foster my authentic and meaningful connection with the natural environment and share this with my community. By offering alternative art and nature experiences for people to engage in actively, I can spark the desire to explore and connect with nature, themselves, and each other. Nature is symbiotic; the more it gives to me, the more I want to turn that into something creative to give back.
[1] Worthy , Kenneth. “Eutierria: Becoming One With Nature.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 3 July 2016
