Acting as a Confidant of Nature

"Painting in Paradise"  © 2012 ~ watercolor by Carol E Fairbanks

"The artist is the confidant of nature, flowers carry on dialogs with (her) through the graceful bending of their stems and the harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms. Every flower has a cordial word which nature directs toward (her)."                 

                                                                                                 Auguste Rodin

My heart opens fully as I immerse myself in a field of flowers or stroll by a turbulent sea or even walk on a quiet woodland trail. To create what I see, I must first feel the energy of what I am witnessing. It is more than a visual experience... it moves beyond most of my senses to a place deep within my soul's longing. There I have a visceral feeling of what I am witnessing... it is precisely where I have a "dialog" with those elements of nature that share the mysteries of life with me. And so I draw and paint and photograph what those elements of nature "say" to me in the quiet of these sacred experiences.  They talk of the joy of life with their vibrant color; they tell me stories of strength and courage as they determine to live in spite of challenge... they play their "music" of life and "sing" of the oneness of all of creation. So it is my mission to create works of art that share this wisdom with everyone so that they, too, will be able to "dialog" with the flowers and the ocean and the trees. The healing of our planet depends on this intimate conversion with creation. No one can be left out of this important conversation. All must be welcome to commune with the very essence of life. The flowers have something important to say. Can we stop and listen?