My goal when I paint landscapes is to pay homage to the natural world by showing nature in its best possible light. However by doing so I also feel like I’m ignoring the global environmental crisis that desperately needs more attention.
I try to make paintings that express calm, joy and connection with the natural world because I think those are the qualities most important and lacking in our lives. But how do you make art that is about joy and simultaneously about ecological collapse? I don’t know, but I suspect I should start by thinking about how I might be able to use art to inspire action.
Although it’ll take time for me to express my environmental concerns in my painting, transitioning to environmental sustainability is definitely about taking action now. My New Year’s resolution has been to start making changes in my personal life to reduce my carbon footprint and I’ve been surprised by how easy, fun and empowering it’s been. I think the key has been to have fun with it, work in small steps and fight the pressure to feel like I need to be perfect about it. As I keep making changes I’ve felt much less anxiety, hopelessness and guilt around the issue.
I think a big part of reducing our carbon footprint is to feel inspired and connected to each other by sharing our progress with those around us. In the spirit of sharing, here’s my personal list of eco-friendly products and habits I’ve started this month, take a look and please share with me what big or small changes you’re making!
Although I believe sustainability will largely come from individual action, I also think it’s important for me to get involved on a political level - be it at my workplace, community or at the state and country level. If you have any suggestions please let me know!
Yosemite Valley, commission I did last year