Creative Insight Reveals Hidden Realities in the Mountains.
As a mixed-media artist, my creative world is a never ending flow of ideas, contrasting thoughts and positive what if(s) mashed together with all I see, feel and experience. My Imaginative and spiritual well is filled in this way in order to create visual expressions that contain depth, truth and connection. The intricate details of everything around me are absorbed, processed by my mind and emotions to be used as fire-lit fuel in the studio.
My artist journey always begins by spending time walking in nature with God, my creator. While listening to what is spoken to my heart, I hope my work will reflect light-filled intent and the ability to change atmospheres or spaces for good. On a weekly basis, hiking in the mountains and exploring connects me with the powerful life force of God present in the Earth. I constantly long for the deep woods, rocky overlooks and snow capped peaks. It is a hunger for discovery both as an artist and adventurist that is never quite satisfied. Endless ideas and journeys await me!
Secret Places in the Woods
While on some of my favorite hikes in Colorado, such as St. Vrain west of Longmont; Racoon Loop trail in Golden Gate Canyon Park; and Bear Lake in the Rocky Mountain National Park, I search for groups of trees sitting back away from the path where hidden worlds can be found in the brush. A shady, secret nook back inside the aspen, pine and rock beacons to me in hushed knowing whispers, revealing forgotten truths. I crawl inside. It is a quiet calm there smelling of cool damp earth, fresh and rotting needles and wet granite heavy in the air from a rushing mountain stream nearby. The slight wind hushes through blue spruce boughs as a black and white Magpie rustles in the limbs above me. I am safe, inside the womb of the woods, deep within my hiding place where I am at home. God speaks softly to my heart, calming my mind, and silent prayers are heard. His love cradles me with comfort and with so many simple, abundant blessings found in the Rocky Mountains. Here, I take out my leather bound journal and begin to take note of these deep perceptions that I can share with my readers on my blog latter. I long to remain here always in the woods and to maybe be part of the elk tribe that roam the Rockies, but adventure calls me back to the trail for now.
Back on the trail
The spiritual flow of the rough landscape is so overwhelming underneath the vast bluebird sky with sunshine drenching my shoulders. The Earth is so alive! With all of the beauty God adorns the Rocky Mountains in, it is evident that he loves them as much as we do. I desire always to express artistically with such need the textures and colors I find to experience their depth in my very being. The vertical definition of lines found in the tall trees and peaks against the horizontal ruggedness of the stretching landscape, delights my eyes with inspiration.
My heart and mind can not hold all of the intensity at once and is overflowed onto canvas and paper. Such an incredible process! Bringing the unseen essence of forest, mountain and earth into existence so that God’s living beauty, life and light can be seen and understood visually. Every texture and pattern in nature contains purpose filled emotional intent that expresses designed order in rugged chaos!
The truth of these realities can be found when you open your heart and mind to new perceptions of light. I encourage you to journey fully into this unknown world with me. Sunlit adventure and beauty are waiting just right outside the hidden lines!