Every Day Should Be “Earth Day”
There are many extraordinary artists who focus on honoring Mother Earth more than one day a year when we celebrate Earth Day, April 22. For these artists, creating art is often a daily ritual to express their gratitude and reverence for our natural environment. In this article I focus on several unique and talented artists who create art that reminds us to appreciate and protect Nature. You’ll learn what inspires the artists and how they use art to make a difference and raise awareness. The message that resonates most strongly is Mother Nature provides an abundant supply of healing energy, life, and well-being. As its blessed inhabitants it is our responsibility to preserve it.
At the end of the article you’ll also find a list of suggestions for “Ways You Can Protect Nature and Our Environment”.
Please visit the artists’ websites and contact them directly to purchase their art.
Kathleen Frevert Levenson ~ Our Role is Caring for Our Earth
Morro Bay Rock Beach, The Sun Shines Through, oil painting, 24″ x 48″
Kathleen lives in Northern California in the Sierra Foothills east of Sacramento with her family. She states, “My goal is to create art that has meaning and brings new appreciation to our role in caring for our earth and ourselves. When the pandemic hit, I had recently ‘graduated’ from full-time employment and was eager to ‘commence’ travel. Instead, I explored the world of oil painting. I painted nature scenes from recent or past outings. Painting gave me purpose, discovery, challenge, and connection with others. Nature is inspiring and I love sharing my findings. May future generations enjoy what we enjoy.” kathylevensonart.com.
Poul Nielsen ~ Extraordinary Color and Light
Atmospheric Probabilities (yellow), pastel on paper, 30” x 22”
Poul lives in Alberta, Canada, and his art has appeared in several exhibitions presented by The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS. His pastel paintings celebrate the ethereal qualities of color and light in nature that provides endless inspiration. He explains, “My most recent work, ‘Atmospheric Probabilities’, continues my interpretive response to the extraordinary colour and light that I experience daily in my immediate environment. My studio overlooks the beautiful South Saskatchewan River immersed in infinite sky and shifting atmospheric conditions. I spend a great deal of time observing the changing light and consequent colour interplay, particularly in the early mourning and late afternoon. My intention is to transcribe these observations into balanced celebratory images, where colour conveys a sense of lightness and healthful well being.” psnielsen.com
Robert A. McArthur ~ Awareness About Endangered Species
“Playing in the Deep Ocean”, from the “Nature Series”, acrylic sculpture and paint on 18″ x 24″ x 3/4″
Robert A. McArthur lives in Cibolo, Texas. He creates three-dimensional, sculptural acrylic paintings on canvas. They focus on lively figures of humans and animals placed in colorful abstract compositions. His message-driven “Nature Series” calls our attention to our responsibility to save endangered species. Robert avoids using any toxic painting materials and seals and protects his paintings with archival varnish. Although primarily self-taught, Robert’s innate creativity and design ideas can be attributed to his early career as an automotive designer and engineer. facebook.com/RobertMcArthurArtist
Shawn Farley ~ Constructions Freed from Destiny as Trash
Connect, painted wood, foundry molds and found materials, 36″ x 17.5″ x 5.5″
Shawn lives and works in Florence, Massachusetts and tells us that she has “an infatuation for the discarded and found materials of life.” You may find her searching flea markets and junk dealers around the U.S. “who clean out the closed and abandoned machine foundries of their wood patterns/molds that are on their way to becoming the trash of history.” From these materials she creates extraordinary assemblages. She explains, “Using chance and intentional placement of found objects followed by paint to create figurative totems is a meditative process for me. I want the viewer to find kinship in these haunting shapeshifters, delight in the tattoos of color, and perhaps smile when viewing them. Freed from their destiny as trash, these constructions assume new identities and an evocation of something soulful.” shawnfarley.art
Frantisek Strouhal ~ Finding Rest in Mother’s Divine Nest
The Tree of Life, oil printing/lithography inks on watercolor paper, 24″ x 20″
Frantisek is a British Columbia artist that creates exquisite mixed media artwork using traditional 19th-century techniques combined with his unique contemporary yet timeless artistic vision. He states, “Once I discovered my connection with Nature, the Universe turned into my divine home. My treasure and wealth are the burning sky at twilight, the blue halo of the ascending moon, the fragrance of the wild flowers, and the chatter of the birds. These are my home, the calmness and warmth in which my soul rest peacefully. As Nature’s patience is eternal, She is the one that is my real home. So that at every moment of the day, I find rest in my Mother’s divine nest.” frantisekstrouhal.com
Hadijah Alicia Munting ~ Art with Recycled Coffee Pods
Bird of Paradise, coffee pod mosaic on canvas, 23.5″ x 23.5″
Hadijah is an exuberant artist who lives in Australia. She proclaims, “Reuse, reduce and recycle has become the inspiration for my recent works: recycled coffee pod mosaics on recycled canvas.” She uses coffee pods donated by family, friends and St Ignatius College Riverview staff. Hadijah explains, “I believe as food nourishes the body colour nourishes the spirit. My recent works using recycled coffee pods shaping each piece onto recycled canvas with the aim of bringing my works to life. They depict an integral part of my surroundings. With their rich browns, fertile greens and blue hue. These colours are symbols of nature intended to touch and soothe the senses, having strategically positioned the mosaics on each canvas adding to a sense of balance, strength and comfort.” glossyblackdesigns.com
Anne Stine ~ The Preservation of Our Planet
Upstream, encaustic on panel, 20″ x 16″
Anne lives in Purcellville, Virginia. Ever since childhood, nature has been her sanctuary where she can “meditate on the spiritual bond I experience when I’m totally immersed in its beauty.” She tells us, “My artwork expresses the celebration of nature and the renewal of life with the intention of drawing attention to the preservation of our planet. I want people to view nature through the eyes of a child, full of awe and wonder, to help recapture the often forgotten connection to Mother Earth.” Anne’s medium of choice is encaustic and explains, “it allows me to express the intensity, fluidity, and textures found in nature more realistically than any other medium, and adds a unique tactile experience.” annestine.com
Doerte Weber – Recycled Materials Destined for Landfills
Walking in Sunshine, structural weaving with plastic bags from newspapers and multiple fibers as warp, 39″ x 49″
Doerte is a fiber artist and weaver who lives in San Antonio, Texas. One of her nature-inspired works of art hangs in the lobby of University Hospital and served as a backdrop while she taught the loom technique to the children. She uses a variety of recycled materials from plastic bags and tapes to plastic liners from newspapers. These materials find their way into her art instead of landfills. She states, “Creating something which seizes the moment and transforms it through medium and connection is what I strive to do. In my artwork, I use color to engage the viewer. Bright colors, from yellow to orange to green, lift up my audience. Through it, the viewer feels empowered and uplifted, both of which we need occasionally in practice or communication.” doerteweber.com
Julie Greig – Simple Beauty Around Us
Quiet Waters, Burkes Pass, NZ, pastel on sanded board, 18.5″ x 13″
Julie paints from her studio in the Maniototo, Central Otago, New Zealand. Her breathtaking nature-inspired paintings remind us of the glory of nature and exude the peace and serenity Mother Nature provides. She wants us to take a moment from our busy lives to appreciate “there is simple beauty to be found all around us”. Julie’s art was selected for our “The Healing Power of Color” exhibition and she also won a Special Recognition Art Award in “The Healing Power of ART in Honor of Nature” exhibition. The Featured Article is titled “Artist Julie Greig Captures the Extraordinary Beauty and Healing Power of Nature”. Julie states, “I am most inspired by light falling on any subject, particularly in early morning or the long shadows of late afternoon. Painting helps us learn to see – finding a way to share our unique vision as artists with the wider world.” juliegreig.co.nz/home
Ways You Can Protect Nature and Our Environment
• Speak up about destructive conduct that is endangering the Earth.
• Create art that raises awareness about important issues regarding nature.
• Organize an art exhibition on the topic of your choice about art and nature.
• Promote artists, exhibitions and galleries that are environmentally conscious.
• Use your unique artistic talents and skills to express your beliefs and concerns.
• Raise awareness about the need for positive change through social media.
• Learn the scientific proven facts about environmental issues and share your knowledge.
• Join environmentally proactive groups on social media where you can educate yourself, find resources and share posts.
• Alter your lifestyles to avoid toxic wastes and lead to a balanced and harmonious relationship with Mother Nature.
• Avoid using toxic cleaning solutions and avoid buying products made with plastic.
• Take an active step in your local communities by joining other environmental activists.
• Inform your elected officials about your beliefs, concerns and what you want them to do.
• When shipping art, make sure your packaging is made from eco-friendly recycled materials, is capable of being recycled, compostable, re-usable, and labelled green / eco-friendly.
• Share articles and exhibitions from The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS website that communicate awareness about honoring Mother Earth.
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