Nature and Art are a heavenly combination. Going out and admiring the surroundings clears my head of anxieties and lets inspiration flow freely through my body. I love going to a place and breathing it in. Recording every sight that interests me with my camera or my pencil to later render a painting which will allow me to remember that place again and again. Painting is freeing and teaches me so much. When painting, it is important to observe carefully in order to accomplish the desired result. I must look closely in order to mimic a color or to recreate a texture. Applying the art elements and principles makes a work rich. It takes time to really see what is in front of me. To do so, I must walk across the forest or look out into the ocean once again. It’s magical! I enjoy losing myself in my work.
Trying to recreate nature is so fun. Witnessing the perfect unity in which all the elements come together in a landscape such as light, vegetation, and water inspires me. These elements exist in many places, but in every one of them they are arranged in a different way. Looking around in a new place is refreshing. Visiting the same place again and again to find something I hadn’t noticed before is also exciting.
Nature never ceases to impress me. My first nature painting was a wave in the shape of a tiger. I saw this image on a surfboard and told my dad I liked it. So he went ahead and bought me a canvas and some oils. It was love at first sight. Painting and I became inseparable. Since then, I’ve found nature to be my favorite subject to paint. Over the years, I have learned to look at her more closely than I ever have before. Patience is key. Sometimes I struggle with painting – like when I can’t mix the color I am searching for, when I can’t get the aerial perspective right, or when the shape of the waterfall does not resemble the real one. That is why nature is unparalleled. She’s perfect, no effort needed. In other words, I am learning from the master!
Here’s one example of how much nature inspires me. On my travels to Colorado, I tried a quick painting with watercolors of some of the rock formations and a meadow.