Art Works For Us
“Art by Nature”
“An artist must possess Nature. He must identify himself with her rhythm, by efforts that will prepare the mastery which will later enable him to express himself in his own language.”— Henry Matisse
Nature is a constant in our ever-changing lives. We’ve all stopped and marveled at the beauty of the natural world. Nature captivates humans. But what draws humans to interpret nature through art? We have a natural tendency to respond to things that move us, inspiring us to replicate through our unique perspective, the way we see, and hear, and feel. Nature is a muse. Paul Cezanne said, “Painting from nature is not copying the object; it is realizing one’s sensations.”
Even though our lives are filled with technology, nothing can inspire art as nature does. Nature presents incredible beauty through its variations of pattern and color. Abstract artist Joan Mitchell (1925-1992) said, “I paint from remembered landscapes that I carry with me – and remembered feelings of them, which of course become transformed. I could certainly never mirror nature. I would more like to paint what it leaves with me.” And Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1987) said of her work, “When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not.”
It’s not just the color and form in nature that influences us. It is the awe one feels looking at a mountain or an ocean and knowing that it has existed for millions of years. It is the knowledge that there is something bigger than oneself. It is also understanding that, as ancient and unchangeable as the mountains and the valleys seem to us, they’re always changing. It is accepting that though nature provides nourishment, healing, and home for us, it also can destroy us. In part, the reason we find inspiration in nature is because it contains not just the beauty we can see, but it also providesthese much deeper meanings because of our physical and emotional connection with it.
We are entering the time of year when the visual changes of the natural world, the stunning colors, compel so many of us to create our art. Whatever medium we practice in, we yearn to convey the deeper meaning of the way we connect to the natural world around us.
Though lake Minnewaska reflects each season in a myriad of beautiful ways, fall is especially stunning. The sun slants through the trees and onto the water in a particular way that signals to us that change is coming. The trees that ring the lake sigh their leaves in a brilliant bouquet of sunset oranges and warm yellows, eventually falling into a gentler palette of warm browns and deep, smoky reds. Whether you pick up a camera, a paintbrush, a pencil or pen, glaze a piece of pottery, or begin sewing a quilt, let the beautiful nature we are so lucky to be surrounded by, soothe and inspire you these next few weeks.
