Artist's Statement:
Three events converged that seemed to initiate this series of work for me. One, in 2020 we were building a new house in a beautiful natural mountainous setting. Two, I was reading THE OVERSTORY by Richard Powers and THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES by Peter Wohlleben. And three, the pandemic began; consequently, leaving unencumbered time “on my hands”, so to speak. I started to really think about the world of nature with more gratitude and a deeper understanding.
The bounty of natural forms, colors, movement, and day to day changes are endless. A tree with a curved trunk or with four trunks is nature’s beautiful sculpture. Walking in the woods and coming upon the fragility of native azalea blooms and native lady slippers was a lovely experience. Reading about how trees might actually communicate was new to me, but plausible and interesting. So, all these experiences greatly influenced my paintings in this collection. While my intention was to observe natural forms more closely, I wanted to create paintings that with the use of color and line would lead to abstractions which conveyed my own interpretation of what I observed.
While the paintings are abstract, they are informed by observation of natural trees, flowers, streams, birds, rocks and mountains. I often used colors to express a feeling and to bring attention to nature in a different way as seen through my eyes. I think of my work as line drawings with paint.
There is something inexplicably satisfying in being in deep woods, walking next to a rushing creek, watching and hearing a Pileated Woodpecker up close. Hearing barn owls call to each other, seeing hawks take their perch to set sight of a meal, the delicacy of a hummingbird as it finds the perfect flower are just a few of nature’s gift to us. Coming upon the unparalleled beauty of lady slippers tucked neatly into areas of pine forest or native azaleas gracing a hiking trail is an experience to be savored.
“Earth may be alive: not as the ancients saw her-----a sentient Goddess with a purpose and foresight---but alive like a tree. A tree that quietly exists, never moving except to sway in the wind, yet endlessly conversing with the sunlight and the soil. Using sunlight and water and nutrient minerals to grow and change. But all done so imperceptibly, that to me the old oak tree on the green is the same as it was when I was a child.” ~ James Lovelock
Louisa's Resume:
While not a native of Ellijay, Louisa moved here in 1996 after retiring from teaching art at the Atlanta International School.
She holds a Masters Degree in Art Studio from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Art Teaching from the Rhode Island School of Design. While always interested in art her most productive years have manifested later in life. She is a keen observer of people, places and things which has influenced both her philosophy of life and her art making.
Her work with children and youth at Atlanta International School greatly influenced her creative ideas and contributed to her journey in art making. Her work can be seen in private and corporate collections. In addition, she has had work exhibited in galleries in South Carolina and Georgia.er woH
