A crisis like no other.
As the world sequestered itself, it was a time to inward: Literally and figuratively. I found myself in Mexico for a scheduled writing retreat for my book in the works called, “The Beautiful Business.” This was right before the world shut down. China was just then being ravaged by the pandemic, and our borders in the US had not yet shut down.
During breaks from writing I looked out across the vast Pacific toward China and the unseen, I contemplated our relationship to the natural world; to our primal connection with all that nature offers: creation, destruction, rejuvenation, seasonality, growth, perpetual change, primal instincts.
The series of pieces are part of a series of pieces that explore the human connection to nature, all created amidst the COVID-19 crisis.
With an eye to the various brokenness of the world, past, and present, Toni Morrison instructs:
“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge — even wisdom. Like art.”
Each piece here is 12×9″ oil on wood panel.
“Song of Trees”
“Song of Trees” is an exploration of our primal connection with the rejuvenating power of nature. Its title is derived from the book by naturalist author, David George Haskill.
“On Second Thought”
“On Second Thought” explores the creation-destruction cycle of all things in the natural world, including the seasonality and temporal nature of life.
“Home Range”
“Home Range” is a painting that examines our anchored paradoxical connection to close loved ones, such as spouses, family and close friends, that create a sense of belonging—and our singular stance in the world as an individual.
“Headful of Treats”
The constant abundance of nature offers us an abundance of “Headful of Treats.” This piece explores how nature is constantly providing nourishment and rejuvenation.
