Nature-Inspired, Environmental Art
My Solo Show at Anna Bier Art Gallery
For my solo exhibition at Anna Bier Art Gallery, “The New Abnormal,” I created nature-inspired environmental art that focused on the rarity of untouched, unspoiled nature and themes of homesteading. It was a great opportunity and experience. I’m thankful for the Darke County Center for the Arts for selecting me to be one of their featured artists and for all of the support they offered along the way including a newspaper interview and promoting my show on the radio.
When I applied to be a solo exhibiting artist at Anna Bier, it was a good challenge for me to start formally focusing on a new series. While themes of nature have always been a big part of my art, this body of work has sparked something deeper to continually mull over. Read on to see my full artist statement and more background info that contributed to the show.
Artist Statement
In “The New Abnormal” series, I draw attention to the shift in our relationship with nature and the environment. This work is inspired by my family’s homesteading journey, where we are pursuing a more self-sufficient lifestyle by growing a garden and orchard, raising chickens, keeping bees, and learning how to forage. I capture the beauty of nature amidst the chaos of modern practices that contribute to pollution and overdevelopment. It reflects the contrast between our current consumer-driven culture and the pressing issues of global warming, declining wildlife, and food security. “The New Abnormal” encourages self-reliance in place of broken systems and underscores the rarity of untouched, unspoiled nature.
My earlier artistic endeavors delved into the intricacies of identity, exploring the interconnected components that contribute to one’s sense of self. Over time, this exploration transitioned into themes of morality and the pursuit of a self-sufficient lifestyle. My upbringing in a log home, surrounded by the natural beauty of woods and fields, has inspired my imagery and material choices through much of my work. Fungi, in particular, have served as a symbol, representing what comes to fruition through life experiences. Concurrently, my nature-based imagery has shifted from a broad spectrum to more intimate depictions of my homestead and the Midwest landscape. Through the deliberate use of surrealism and juxtaposition, my art seeks to not only provoke thought but also foster meaningful discussions on the interconnectedness of humanity and nature.
I’m located in Parker City, Indiana, where I live with my husband and two sons. I hold a BFA in drawing from Ball State University (2014). My artistic focus has evolved to primarily feature acrylic painting on wood panels and canvas, though I also work with paper and various media like colored pencil, ink, watercolor, gesso, and graphite. These media are sometimes layered over acrylic or combined in different ways. My process frequently involves using reference photos I have taken. I’ve been a professional photographer since 2017, transitioning from weddings and portraiture to fine art nature photography.
My transition from artist to wedding photographer and back to fine art was largely triggered by the events of 2020. My husband and I had already started homesteading, but supply chain failures and food insecurity around the country heightened our commitment to it. Spending more time at home, where we’ve let nature reclaim much of our property, brought solace. I’m inspired to share the values of homesteading and nature preservation, which I believe are vital for our world today and for future generations.
Putting the Show Together
Themes from the natural world
As I decided which pieces to include in my show, I wanted to give viewers a sense of place. I wanted the audience to see my artistic range as well as progression. Because I was largely inspired by my family’s homesteading journey, all of the photographs included were subjects from our homestead that are edible in some form. My newer works created with “The New Abnormal” in mind varied between celebrating the beauty of nature and its corruption.
Older works, including from my series “Fungus Garden,” were nature-inspired, environmental art that new meaning could be drawn from in context of “The New Abnormal.”
A Special Thank You
I’m thankful to the board for Darke County Center for the Arts for choosing me as one of their exhibiting artists. The Director of Visual Arts, Jennifer Overholser, was wonderful to work with throughout. I think the way she chose to hang the show was well grouped, by pairing pieces from my earlier series together from “Fungus Garden” and then moving into my new body of work. I appreciated her promotion of “The New Abnormal” on the radio. One of her interviews is linked below. I was also interviewed by Marilyn Delk, who captured an incredible depth of detail about my work. Her article is linked below as well.
More Inspiration from Nature and Homesteading
While some pieces have sold and are now in new homes, there’s still available artwork from “The New Abnormal” at my studio in Muncie. I plan on submitting some pieces to upcoming exhibitions, but if there is something you’re specifically interested in, you can visit my artwork page for pricing and availability.
Where does the series go from here? I’m continuing to create nature-inspired environmental art that draws from my experiences homesteading. I’m creating more paintings, drawings, and photography while experimenting with new materials. I keep finding inspiration in things like an abandoned farm house in the center of a field or learning the average number of miles produce travels is around 1500 miles. It seems like everywhere I turn, there’s more to consider and reflect upon then create art in response to it.
Press Links
Delk, Marilyn | “Capturing nature’s beauty among chaos” | Daily Advocate | January 19
Overholser, Jennifer | Interview | WTGR 97.5 FM | Greenville, OH | December 7
