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A planter of red begonias sit at the forefront of an unfolding summer day. Behind them, cumulonimbus clouds linger near thick and tangled masses of trees. |
Landscapes have their mysteries. I have photographed them often. Some, from a distance and other times closer. But before I picked up the camera, I travelled often as a child. In hindsight I was in awe of how different one region was from another and startled by how many places lingered just outside of what I was able to see from my tiny hometown. When you travel, the world seems to expand.
During that time, my idea of 'home' was primitive and naive. It was after adolescence that idea changed; becoming more emotional, more complex. 'Home' means many things to many different people. It's the place that you know, the place that surrounds you, the private space cushioned between self and nature, the sacred setting of time, season and familiar comforts.
I grew up in a very southern and rural area, so overtime nature became something of a confidant for me. To find inspiration for my landscapes, I often revisit my photography or go on nature walks and snap more photos of things that make an impression on me; Trees swaying in the wind before a heavy rain, a rainbow breathing life into the sky, a setting sun kissing freshly tilled land as day winds down to night. Nature is a huge part of my background; both artistically, and personally. When I paint, I like to capture whatever I am seeing in my own way, with colors that fit the emotional aspect of a scene (how it makes me feel). I translate that reverence for nature through hues in my palette that hold significance to me. I am also very much into texture and enjoy using thick paints with my palette knife to achieve this within my landscapes.
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