'Wherever you go, there you are'
And where I've been these past few months has been searching for a deep connection with my work; wanting my paintings to capture the uncomplicated love I have for the natural world and the peace I find within it.
In winter I find myself walking the same icy loop around the park, hiking the same long path through the forest. I let my mind wander as I go, watching the land, feeling the wind, listening to the trees. Gathering inspiration in the winter is always a challenge, but it's there if I'm looking closely enough.
After much contemplation and following what felt aligned with my heart, I set aside my highly imagined and colour-filled skies and instead, focused my attention on the ground beneath my feet and the view spread out immediately before me:
‘Down to Earth’
... were the words that kept running through my mind and around which this series developed. It's a phrase that perfectly captures both the look and feel of this collection as these paintings are simple, honest snapshots of an everyday, ruggedly beautiful land. Unembellished. Real. Tangled treelines deeply rooted against blustery skies. A limited palette of muted, natural colours. Along with a surprising amount of interest, I found such strength and peace in the idea of 'earthbound'. And rather than hopping all around the rainbow, I gave myself permission to stay in this one place and get to know the landscape over and over and over again, each time a little different, each time revealing new details, new places to explore.
This is a collection tied together by a common view and by the use of two 'hero' colours which run throughout - those deep, dark evergreens, and the muddy browns of the earth itself. As always, I was chasing the light, looking for shadows and playing with the brushstrokes... but still wanting the end result to feel grounded and peaceful.
Each of these paintings captures the core of what I love about getting outdoors - the sweeping calm of a big, breezy sky, gathering energy from the wind and wisdom from the forest, feeling connected to the land, and finding beauty in the realness of an 'ordinary' view.
There are 31 paintings in this collection that will be available for sale from Tuesday, May 2 at 11 am Eastern. I have created a collection preview for you to stroll through the full collection. I'd love for you to make a cup of tea, settle in to explore the land through my eyes and discover a new beauty of the land that surrounds us every day.
Feet on the ground, heart in the work. Enjoy.
Update: Unsold paintings can been seen in the webshop for this collection. Archival fine art prints and canvas prints are available for several of the statement artworks in this series.