Water themes continue to emerge in my work. My time in the wilderness, paddling or merely observing the lakes, rivers, oceans captures my imagination. The land contains the water, supports it. Land and water are tied together.
I’ve been thinking about wildfires that we’ve been seeing in Colorado and Arizona. It took me back to the devastation I’ve seen in wilderness areas in northern Minnesota. The land is savagely transformed from tall, protective, thick forests to charred ground, barren stalks of trees, exposed stone revealed. Within a year, the land begins to mend and heal itself. New growth embraces the charred landscape with fresh greenery, berries and flowers that now have new light.
Meanwhile, the water – the rivers and lakes carry on. Even while the flames take the wood, the water is still beautiful. The reflections are surprising, scary, calming, clarity. The water is the healing pool that balances out earth’s scars. This series, called “Currents” reflects the water in the midst of the land’s transformation.
