Nature in art is expressed by artists in a myriad of ways as you will discover in this presentation of artists from art history and several members of the Manhattan Arts International online art gallery. Art that focuses on nature may be one of the catalysts for personal renewal, increasing our awareness of the world around us, feeling refreshed, and lifting our spirits. Hopefully, we become more motivated to take action to protect and preserve the natural environment. We can acquire many new realizations about ourselves and the natural world through works of art.
We know for sure that the natural world will continue to inspire artists and viewers for centuries to come. The French Symbolist painter, printmaker and pastelist Odilon Redon, wrote, “The artist submits from day to day to the fatal rhythm of the impulses of the universal world which encloses him, continual centre of sensations, always pliant, hypnotized by the marvels of nature which he loves, he scrutinizes. His eyes, like his soul, are in perpetual communion with the most fortuitous of phenomena.” Redon’s sentiments have been shared by millions of artists over centuries.
“Great art picks up where nature ends” ~ Marc Chagall
“Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to learn to understand art more and more”. ~ Vincent van Gogh
Banner image: Painting by Peter N. Van Giesen
Odillon Redon, Reflection, pastel on paper, pastel on paper, 18.8″ x 24″. Photo: Public Domain via wikimedia.
American artist and theorist James Abbot McNeill Whistler remarked, “Nature contains the elements, in color and form, of all pictures, as the keyboard contains the notes of all music. But the artist is born to pick and choose… as the musician gathers his notes, and forms his chords, until he brings forth from chaos, glorious harmony.”
Abstract Expressionist artist Joan Mitchell explained, “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.” She also said, “Sunflowers are like people to me.”
Georgia O’Keeffe, Red Canna, oil, created in 1919, Current location: High Museum of Art, Atlanta. Public domain in the U.S.
Georgia O’Keeffe commented, “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.”
Frank Lloyd Wright, the American architect known for designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment, once said, “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”
Paul Cézanne, The Bridge of Trois-sautets, watercolor, 16.1″ × 20.8″. Photo: Public Domain.
Cézanne proclaimed, “Painting from nature is not copying the object; it is realizing one’s sensations. He also stated, “Treat nature in terms of the cylinder, the sphere, the cone, everything in proper perspective.”
Henri Matisse, The Joy of Life, Le Bonheur de Vivre, oil on canvas, created 1905 – 1906. Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, US
Dimensions: 175 x 241 cm. Photo: Public Domain.
Nature in Art by Some of Our Esteemed Members
Now let’s look at some of the best works of art and quotes about nature that have been created by some of the members of Manhattan Arts International. As you view their art allow their images to speak to you beyond their surfaces. Observe how they interpret nature. Notice the differences among the artists and why they choose their preferred styles and mediums. Read about their motivation and convictions. View this completely with your open heart, mind and soul. Take your time, savor each image, and visit the artist’s pages and websites.
Nancy Reyner
Artist and author Nancy Reyner is a contemporary painter who creates “exotic versions of heaven”, using gold leaf and acrylic. She proclaims, “Nature is my guiding principle to portray luminous notions of air, water, earth and light. Creating imaginary new worlds, merging the literal and the metaphorical, my paintings hover somewhere between pure abstraction and realistic landscape.”
Andrea Robinson
Andrea Robinson is an environmental artist who celebrates nature in colorful paintings. Andrea describes her aim as being two-pronged: to celebrate nature; and to raise awareness of environmental issues. To communicate her messages she applies her many skills in a wide variety of mediums, techniques and styles. Andrea explains, “In this throw-away society I think it is important that our choices are sustainable both in how we work and what we purchase.”
Sandra Belitza-Vazquez
Sandra Belitza-Vazquez exudes, “I see possibilities for new creations everywhere around me – flowering weeds, mushrooms, feathers, acorns, pinecones, walnuts, moss-covered tree bark, dead insects, and even empty bird nests that continually invite my inspection and collection. With objects in hand, the creative process begins. The possible arrangements by color, size, and combination of things not commonly found together in nature become the pre-visualizations of a final image. The creations express joy, freedom, gracefulness, reflection, and contemplation.”
Gail Bach
Gail Bach paints contemporary watercolor paintings that celebrate the exuberance of tropical floral and fauna. The mesmerizing fragrance of the jasmine tree unlocked in her a creative impulse that is reflected in her tropical jungle paintings. She states, “Using an intuitive process I absorb the exhilarating primal beauty that constitutes tropical environments and channel those magical feelings into vibrant-metallic watercolors.”
Mary Chaplin
Mary Chaplin felt compelled to express her love of flowers and other forms of nature. She describes how she re-defined her art and what she aims to capture: “Fleeting moments captured in the instant, free and energetic brushstrokes, vivid colors, the wind blowing through the flowers, the storm brewing in the distance, the morning sun shining through the mist over her garden giving movement, life, joy and ever changing living beauty to my works.” She shares her favorite quote by Michel de Montaigne: “If life is nothing more than a passage, let’s at least sow flowers along it”.
Christine Ilewski
Christine Ilewski lives in Alton, IL and is inspired by the natural beauty in her region. She states, “Landscape has almost always been the background to my narratives, but in my most recent work it seems to have become my center… a place of reflection, a still point from which everything else revolves.” Her breathtaking nature-inspired reflective works of art capture the meditative, innate rhythmic interconnectedness of water, earth and sky elements, that fuse both real and imagined features.
Joan Metcalf
Joan Metcalf is known for her luminous and effervescent paintings that celebrate the magnificent spirit of nature. She explains, “My paintings of large-scale florals, gardens, landscapes and seascapes all reflect my fascination with the lush, natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Whether I’m painting autumn leaves, crashing waves or quiet, reflecting river scenes, I try to portray nature at its most colorful and dramatic.”
Peter N. Van Giesen
Peter N. Van Giesen is a Canadian artist, who was raised in Ontario and has created art since he was a child. He completed university degrees in Psychology and Religion, so it is no surprise to read his statement, “Creating art, for me, is a mystical process, a spiritual work, and an exercise of creativity. I am drawn to the mystery that is implicit in the natural world.”
Dick and Rosanne
Dick and Rosanne work solely on creating nature photography primarily inspired by their garden. The unique mandala-like images celebrate nature and combine powerful healing elements to portray nature at its most colorful and dramatic. The explain, “Being immersed in our environment and appreciating colors and patterns in things both large and small, has led us to create sacred geometry mandala-like images of nature.”
Barbara Brown
Barbara Brown is an artist, author and forest-walker, from the wilds of British Columbia, Canada. She combines her deep connection to the natural world with her mission to bring the beauty and wonder of the forest to others. In her deeper and broader vision Barbara sees a world “where nature in all its beauty is held in reverence, where we in the human family have fallen back in love with the natural world . . . for we take care of what we love.”
Wonderful article. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you!
Fabulous article with wonderful art! Especially enjoyed the quotes by famous artists.
Excellent, it is filling you up with beauty both the images and the words of the artist’s. I am in love with nature too and I am thankful for the physical and emotional wealth that nature offers us, and I am thankful to the artists for reflecting back their experiences.