From the scarlet roses of an ethereal garden to the golden sands of a tropical beach, nature stands as perhaps one of the most classic and timeless sources of inspiration for artists of all varieties. Yet, in a world where recycling, sustainability, and environmental preservation are the order-of-the-day, what does today’s natural art scene look like?
This is the question that will be answered through Brooksville Art Gallery at 201’s “In Touch with Nature” art exhibit. The reception for “In Touch with Nature” will be on Friday, September 9, 2022, from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm at the Brooksville Art Gallery at 201, previously known as the Uptown Gallery, located at the Brooksville City Hall, 201 Howell Avenue, Brooksville. Music and refreshments will be provided at the reception. The art exhibit’s duration will run from September 9 until October 21, 2022.
Currently, artists are encouraged to submit three-five pieces of their artwork painted or created while getting in touch with nature. “Nature has been the obvious subject for art and art making since the beginning. This subject is vast in the way it has been interpreted by artists from the ancient into the contemporaries,” read the “In Touch with Nature” Call to Artists. “In this series of submissions, the only requirement is that nature, in all of its glory, be part of the interpretation or process. Nature is all around us and deep within us. While it can be easy to disconnect in these hyperreal times with all the various distractions, we are inseparable from nature.”
Art Gallery Coordinator Pedram Moghaddam explained, “The word nature, like the word art, has so many different meanings and these days, natural art means so much more than portraits of woods and landscape.” Many pieces of art, Moghaddam points out, could qualify as natural art. He continued,”Natural art is something taken from actual nature. When artists create art, they could be painting with paints derived from oil or stones, with blue coming from lapis, for example. They could use easels and canvases made from wood.”
And in the world of modern art, environmental artists make natural art sculptures from eco-based materials; like Felicia Nudo, set to exhibit at “In Touch with Nature.” An Environmental Scientist at Southwest Florida Water Management, Nudo’s featured sculpture titled “Things Unseen” consists of items she has collected on conservation lands. She shared, “The focal piece is a wasp’s nest, I have a sliver of an oak tree, dried flowers, and more. These are things people don’t stop and look at when visiting conservation sites.”
Nudo’s work is a prime example of natural art. “Some pieces may show decomposition, it’s a piece of art that won’t last forever,” said Moghaddam. “Others may contain preservatives, so they don’t deteriorate. Recycled art is also popular.”
Beyond the common natural themes, all varieties of media are being accepted for the “In Touch with Nature” exhibit; from drawings to watercolor, acrylics, oil paintings, pottery to photography, 3D and clay. “We have everything from a piece of garlic to a portrait of waterlilies.” said Moghaddam.
And as folks enjoy a full assortment of nature-inspired art, they’ll be visiting a city gallery with a fresh, dynamic new name; one proposed by Moghaddam and approved via a unanimous vote of the Brooksville City Council. “This gallery has been known officially as Brooksville Art Gallery at 201 for about a month,” said Moghaddam. “I believe that the name is dynamic and all-inclusive.” Artists are encouraged to submit images of their proposals for approval by email ([email protected]) prior to bringing them to City Hall. All approved pieces are to be submitted in person at Brooksville City Hall, 201 Howell Avenue, Brooksville. For questions, contact Art Gallery Coordinator, Pedram Moghaddam, at 352-540-3810 or via email at [email protected].
Spring Hill artist Karen Governale stands among the creatives set to display pieces at the exhibit. Governale shared, “I’m excited about this upcoming exhibition ‘In touch With Nature.’ It’s a great opportunity for me to showcase my passion of creating resin geode art. It’s an art technique that’s done to try to recreate the beauty of natural agate sliced rocks and crystal formations found in nature. I use all kinds of materials like wood, sand, resin, glitter, crushed glass and real Quartz points in them. I’m obsessed with geode art and I hope everyone can find time to come to the exhibit to see them!”
Jana Withers, another “In Touch With Nature” exhibitor who also owns a Spring Hill art studio, drew upon some Hernando inspiration for her submission. “I always look forward to every exhibit in Brooksville and this one is no exception. Of my entries, a favorite is ‘Water’s Edge.’ The underpainting was done on location at Bayport Park and finished in the studio,” she said. “The joy of creating art in nature is that it stimulates all of our senses. When I view this painting, I remember everything I saw, touched, smelled, tasted, and heard that day. For me, observing and painting the vibrancy and beauty of nature is a passion and a way of preserving the landscapes that may not be there for others to view in the future. We all need to stay in touch with nature.”
Sue Beach is set to exhibit a broad range of artistic styles through her “In Touch” exhibit. “‘Spirited’ is my first square shaped composition and created with liquid acrylic paint,” she explained. “‘Undiscovered’ is a representational watercolor painting mounted on a panel with a wax finish. It was painted from a reference photo I took of a path that led to the ocean, which I hadn’t seen in many decades. This piece was also juried into the Florida Watercolor Society’s 2022 Online Show. ‘Take Time…’ is also a representational watercolor painting mounted on a panel with a wax finish. It is a zoom lens approach to the subject matter and has a larger than life quality, similar to the style of Georgia O’Keefe – one of my favorite artists.”
Artists from outside Hernando also will be represented at “In Touch with Nature.” Tana Brackins of Lutz is the owner of Pasco County’s Beck Gallery and she will also be displaying her art at the exhibit. She stated, “I’m going to have five pieces, including a photo of the moon, taken with a zoom lens to see the craters, two desert photos, and one of a beautiful type of flower. It seems I see something to take pictures of wherever I go and nature is a favorite subject.”
