While still being a college student, I have used many different practices to create artwork, differing from woodworking to metalsmithing and my emphasis, graphic design. However; the voice of my work always calls back to the theme which I feel the most connected to not only in my art making process, but also throughout my life as well. I believe nature and being outdoors is one of the keys to creating a happy life for ourselves – and is the place I feel most heard, comforted, and accepted. A hike through the woods or a day paddle boarding across the lake always brings solace and is able to still and refocus my mind. The calming effect of nature then is what translates to all of my favorite works and reappears no matter the media I am employing.
Some of my works that deal with this recurring theme include an embroidery series of photographs that include my favorite places I have travelled heat transferred and then stitched over to emphasize individual elements of the landscape. When presented, its ideal location would be hanging from tree branches so that the viewer must take a step into a serene, outdoor location to view them. Another piece that demonstrates this is one of my most recent works, a band saw box created in the shape of a tobacco leaf, which represents the landscape where I spent my entire childhood. This theme not only translates into 3D materials, but into my graphic design projects as well. Here I often use simple patterning that include natural elements such as hand drawn leaves and flowers.
My overall vision for my work would be for viewers to see my pieces and it draw them back to their favorite moments they have had travelling, or where they played outside as a child. That the small moment they spend viewing my work would take them back to a time they felt they were less stressed and carefree – and hopefully demonstrate that I believe these feelings can be brought back by spending time quietly enjoying nature.
I believe my work fits in with contemporary art by relating to the current crisis to stop global warming. While not directly speaking to this issue, my work showcases the beauty of the natural world and could encourage others to do their part in keeping it clean for the sake of humans and animals alike. My work also reflects on that of art throughout history. Ancient people believed parts of nature to be gods and would create entire ceremonies around natural events such as rain or a good crop season. The theme of the importance of nature has been demonstrated since the beginning of art being recorded and we should hold onto that standard to continue.
To conclude, I believe spending nature is one of the most important factors for happiness in our lives and this for me continues into every medium of my work. If I am able to make viewers stop their hectic lives for one moment, and remember a calmer time or time they have enjoyed outdoors then we as a society would be able to come together again and create positive change not only for our environments, but for our own lives as well.https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art399/1044/thumbnail.jp
