Spring is in the Air

I found this penny at the top of the little waterfall, it had been there for a long time it was all worn.

Maybe a raccoon?

There is no other season that inspires me like spring, especially in Wisconsin, and especially after this particular winter. I have come to appreciate snow much more than I used to, but still, the dark days and the lack of flowers and sun really gets to me. Last weekend was the first weekend that we went up the Door County peninsula to hike. We spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday just walking all over the place. (We live just SW of Door Co.) It was perfect weather--between 55-65 degrees and sunny sunny sunny! As you can see from the pictures, there is still some ice on bay and some snow in the deep woods. It was quite sloshy but that's okay too. Our kids, who are four and five, are awesome at walking. It was the best!

Anyway, nature influences me a great deal in my art, as it has interested many artists. (Speaking of which, here is a great interview of Picasso speaking about various things including nature)

Nature is more of a backdrop though. Natural forms find their way into my work but I've never been intensely interested in simply painting landscapes or sketching flowers, for example. No plein air painting for me--it's too distracting. Too much space, noise, visuals--I can't concentrate.

I read about an artist that also thought of the landscape as more of a background to their art, not part of it, but I can't remember what book I read that out of or what artist it was...I think sort of the same way, except that I acknowledge the role of nature in my art, even if nature isn't the subject, nature is always there.

No, I need nature for different reasons--to cleanse myself--my mind, my body, and my soul. When I'm walking, hiking, climbing, playing, boating, whatever, I am happier than any other time. Art is work. Nature is my escape.