I was always intrigued by the relationship between nature and art. And sometimes, I do wonder, "what is the role of nature in art?" Or maybe a better thought would be, "is nature an art itself?".

 

A painted picture of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Northern New Mexico can epitomize the awe-inspiring. But also, it could mean searching for the unknown. In other words, what is on the other side?

 

Some would say why it is Taos silly. Or some other town located in a valley. To some, the mountain could mean something to drive around or over and nothing more. 

 

But also, what I mean by the unknown could be described as unexplained, unfamiliar, and unexplored. The mountains could symbolize our daily repast that there is more to life and we are searching. 

 

Searching to believe there is more to living and life itself than working and paying bills. And to hopefully find that depth and clarity in life. What does having clarity mean? Is it having pure and clear hopes and understandings?  

 

As an artist, it sometimes becomes cloudy. The artistic mindset doesn't like rules to follow.

The imaginative creativity flows without structure and conformation. We love beauty in nature, unstructured activities, and variety.

The clarity for us comes from freedom. 

 

Is clarity a feeling? 

Sensitive and passionate clarity refers to an understanding of what you are feeling and why you have an awareness of it. Also, is it where you want to be in your current feelings? And if it isn't where you want to be, how to change it?

 

 

 

What are the benefits of artistic life and nature?

 

 

Well-being.  

A higher outlook on life.

Live a more artistic meaningful life.

Increase productivity and creativity.

 

Concentration. 

Increased success by staying focused.

 

Meditation.

Focus on the present.

Reduce negative emotions. 

Increase imagination and creativity.

Increase self-awareness.  

 

Happiness.

A healthier heart.

Decrease in stress.

Improved relationships.

A positive mood creates more.

 

Relaxation.

A calmer mind.

Increases self-confidence to create.

Reduce apathy. 

 

Self-worth.

Improved sense of self-worth.

Life satisfaction.

Decrease in depression tendencies.

 

 

Does it seem like the artist is a bit more emotional? 

We do seem to be more sensitive to surrounding elements that are encircling. We seem to find the vibe first just walking into a room or walking down a forest path.

 

With getting back to nature and the art link, natural elements can also feed the creative soul. The tie or relationship between the artist and earthy creations can bring creative contemplation. From the profound, creativity can be revealed. 

 

An abstract sculpture or painting emerges from the subconscious mind, encouraged by a walk through natural elements. 

 

Retrospectively you can use natural elements to create art. Take my usual medium wood for one natural source. Or maybe charcoal, natural mixed pigments, clay, and graphite. The one thing when creating with natural elements is it can have a mind of its own. 

And what I mean by that is the natural medium teaches you what it wants to do. You don't tell it that it must do this and that. 

 

I once read the book (Tammy Garcia, Form without Boundaries)

that she used native clay to create pottery. Being from the Pueblo people, she learned the traditional way with her mother as the mentor. She has ventured into other mediums since with glass and bronze. 

 

Digging up the clay by a river and creating something beautiful would be an exceptional talent. Also, the experienced one advances through a lot of trial and error.

 

Whenever we are in Santa Fe, we will stop in at Blue Rain Gallery. She has artwork displayed there. Tammy Garcia's works with quite an artistic oeuvre that both include traditional and contemporary styles. 

 

Her work always inspires me. This is mainly because she can make beautiful pieces out of natural materials. And there is that nature and art element. 

 

I always wondered if there are ways of selecting good natural clay to make pottery art. Some questions are if you can tell if the natural substance will make a suitable medium to create. If there are safe and proper properties, you have to look at them when selecting them. 

 

To create a piece out of natural clay only to have it fall apart from an inferior material would be a learning experience. 

 

As with working with the medium, wood can have its limiting challenges. Twisted grain figuration tends to distort with time.

 

 

Georgia O'Keefe takes a nature walk. 

 

Georgia O'Keefe enjoyed collecting dried-up bones she found in the high New Mexico desert near Abiquiu and the Ghost Ranch. The bones inspired her to create paintings.

  

She would use the bones in the forefront of the painting and frame the desert landscape in the background. This becomes a famous part of Georgia O" Keefe's art style.

 

"Sun-bleached bones were most wonderful against the blue - that blue that will always be there as it is now after all man's destruction" Georgia O'Keefe.

She liked to spend the summers in New Mexico and then go back to New York for the winters. When she went back to New York, she would take barrels of bones with her that she collected. 

 

O'Keefe stated about the bone collection.  "I have wanted to paint the desert and haven't known how. So I brought home the bleached bones as symbols of the desert. To me, they are beautiful as anything I know. To me, they are strangely more living than animals walking around. The bones seem to cut sharply to the center of something that is keenly alive on the desert even tho' it is vast and empty and untouchable and knows no kindness with all its beauty."

 

You can have a profound relationship when viewing them. This is especially if you can relate to the piece. Maybe in nature and art elements.  This became the acclaimed Georgia O'Keefe landscapes of the Southwest.

Epilogue 

To conclude on the topic of "The Relationship of Nature and Art." I guess it would be the natural link that develops. Is it pure, uncultivated, and unpolished? It seems the human form likes to polish and cultivate it into something they believe is livable. 

 

Like the organic, the lover of nature seems to be true of being oneself. Instinctive and inartificial. 

 

Nature has a way to clear away interferences by overcoming our senses. It wants all of our attention to observe and become one. 

 

Here are some topics on the role of nature and how it relates to the world of art. 

Do you use nature as an artistic muse? 

How do you achieve clarity in a murky world? 

Do walks in a natural setting help you inspire to create?

Do you somehow relate to the Georgia O'Keefe bone landscapes?

 

I always look forward to your comments. 

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Creative sources;

Book, Georgia O'Keefe, the poetry of things.

Book, Tammy Garcia, Form Without Boundaries

Georgia O'Keefe images are open source.