There is nothing more beautiful and amazing than nature. The sounds. The smells. Critters going about their day. A gently sloping mound of earth. River and rain valleys slicing the terrain in two. Leaves lined up like little soldiers to face the sun. The aromas of decay and growth. The intricate simplicity of everything. From the tree tops to the tiniest droplet of water, a million stories are playing out every second. Dependence and independence. Success and failure. Each moment delicately woven together. These worlds just are.
They are easy to relax in, and get lost in. They are a glimpse into another perspective.
They are tranquil and beautiful, and violent and ugly. They are magic.
Sit and look at these natural worlds, and they go on forever... tinier and tinier...
the closer one gets. A single spot of moss can explode into a towering forest,
complete with predators, prey, and a slurry of other organisms
dutifully fulfilling their roles. Plants are the foundation of this
ecosystem. They play the most important role simply sitting
there, harvesting the sun, and in balance with the world.
My works are controlled by these minute interconnected
curiosities. They are also studies on plant growth. I learn from
them, and I listen, and understand them. I do not fight nature.
I help mold and shape it to become something pleasing to the both
of us. I learn growth habits and manipulate their course. The soil is my
canvas, tiny snippets of greenery my medium, and their future growth is my
paint. It is a slow process of intuition and patience. I carefully merge science
and craft to capture the natural world, take it out of its element, and into ours. Here,
we can celebrate nature on a whim. We can reconnect with it and learn to respect its complexity.