Reflection

Reflection

Throughout my life and time as an artist, I’ve had a constant fascination with nature and the beauty of organisms, from tiny ladybugs to towering oak trees. I’ve been inspired by artists such as Alberto Pla y Rubido, Hayao Miyasaki, Claude Monet, and through them, I’ve witnessed the bond that art has with nature. In my personal experience, my surroundings and nature have been a constant faucet of inspiration. Even just a walk around my neighborhood or an afternoon watching the sunset can provide infinite ideas and discoveries. However, I am especially lucky for this ability as many people worldwide find that the amount of conservation areas, parks, and wildlife grow smaller and smaller every year while large industries and companies continuously pollute our oceans, land and sky. I wanted to show the danger of our environment fading away, but also the hope that efforts to conserve nature can bring. In my artwork, I portrayed a tree branching out throughout myself to show the necessity of the natural world in art-making. I utilized heavy contrast in order to highlight the responsibility of artists everywhere to not only prevent further damage to our environment, but also to restore it and ensure its presence. While the future for our world may look dark and uncertain, it is not an excuse to give up. Rather, it is a chance for all different types of people to realize the debt that they owe to the natural world and protect it.