The more I spend time alone in nature, the more I see structure underlying beauty. The way water flows around a rock can be seen in the way snow forms around a tree or the wind blows s across a pebbled beach. The relationship of nature to what we find attractive to the eye seems to have a scientific basis. Artists know this when they think about the structure of a painting or how to frame a photograph. The laws of nature work, we are a part of that system.    

The stillness that solitude provides can often lead me into a deeper contemplation of my surroundings. I believe these meditations on nature have close ties with much of the artwork that appears in the pages of Cascade A&E. From the popularity of en plein air painting in the area to the choice of natural light vs. artificial light when creating, nature plays an almost constant role in the life of the artists I speak with.

Whatever your method, structure, stillness solitude are important factors in an artist’s process. The season’s recent change will bring many more people out of doors as warmth sun reveal a sorely missed side to Central Oregon: Summer. May this time be one of creative inspiration, playful bike rides possibly a moment to reflect on where nature ends we begin. I look forward to the results!