Nature Spirit
Nature Spirit is a collection of illustrations, quotes, and mini essays completed in 2023. The series explores themes of harmony, balance, and interbeing. Drawing inspiration from Taoist and Zen philosophy, the natural sciences, and native wisdom, the series considers the invisible threads that connect all of us.
The twelve pieces of Nature Spirit are comprised of four subsets of three, reflecting our earth calendar and its seasons. ✨
Forest Bathing
May one find comfort and reprieve under the shadow of trees.
There is a practice in Japanese culture called shinrin-yoku, which can be translated into "Forest Bathing" or "Taking in the Forest Atmosphere." It involves simply spending time in nature amongst trees, being very present in the experience, and bringing freshness to our body and mind. An important moment of rest on our journey.
“Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth.”
HERMAN HESSE
Worlds
Are those oranges, or small worlds?
It could be both, depending on one's perspective. Worlds depicts the exploration of new worlds big and small, and all the feelings of anticipation, mystery, and wonder it brings. It also is a nod to two of my favorite childhood books, The Little Prince and James and the Giant Peach.
"Well, maybe it started that way. As a dream, but doesn’t everything. Those buildings. These lights. This whole city. Somebody had to dream about it first. And maybe that is what I did. I dreamed about coming here, but then I did it."
ROALD DAHL, James and the Giant Peach
Birdsong
A magpie perched on an orange tree calls for good fortune and joy 🍊
Birdsong is a modern take on traditional Chinese Bird & Flower Painting (huaniaohua). Each element in huaniaohua holds a symbolic meaning, and the art celebrates the beauty of nature found in even the smallest forms of life. It's a way to use art to share well wishes.
"Look deep into nature, then you will understand everything better."
ALBERT EINSTEIN
Flow
Two fish flow through a river that cannot be seen, yet can be sensed.
Inspired by traditional ink painting, fish are symbols of prosperity and happiness as the word for fish sounds like the word for abundance in Chinese culture. Here, happiness and prosperity move together in harmony by finding flow in the stream of life.
“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”
RUMI
Lotus
A peaceful lotus blooms from the depths of the mind.
In many cultures, the lotus flower is a symbol of purity, enlightenment, and rebirth. It is often associated with spiritual awakening and the journey towards enlightenment, as it grows from the mud at the bottom of a pond to blossom into a beautiful flower. The lotus is also seen as a symbol of resilience and the ability to overcome obstacles, as it blooms in even the harshest of conditions.
“No mud, no lotus.”
THICH NHAT HANH
Stems
Reconnecting with the natural way of things.
Stems reach around and into the ground, signifying grounding and growing. Abstract shapes form a body that could also be a mountain and hair that could also be a river. A reminder of both our own original nature and the interconnectedness of all things.
“I understand that everything is connected, that all roads meet, and that all rivers flow into the same sea.”
PAULO COELHO
Poppy Run
May you run wild and free.
Deer are important symbols across many cultures: nobility and longevity in China, peace and harmony in Buddhism, and spiritual protectors for many Native American tribes. Beyond the meanings assigned to them, their graceful movements through the wilderness wordlessly speaks to the freedom of the spirit.
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
ALBERT CAMUS
Play
Embracing a playful mood.
Do we need to be told that the color emotion of orange is positivity and happiness, or that poppies are symbols of joy and play? Or can we just trust our natural reaction when we see a burst of orange and yellow anemones and say yes, this makes me smile? When we take life less seriously and remember how to lighten up, we experience life more deeply than ever. Let’s have fun.
"It is a happy talent to know how to play."
RALPH WALDO EMERSON
Sunseeker
A small figure blends into the sweeping gestures of nature.
In long days of summer it’s easy to bathe in the abundance of sunshine and flowers. Tuning into the same endless summer within ourselves allows us see the golden richness that is always there, even when the days grow shorter and winter looms ahead.
“I've found that there is always some beauty left - in Nature, sunshine, freedom, in yourself; these can all help you.”
ANNE FRANK
Of the Earth
Remembering that we too are of the earth.
This piece honors plants, native peoples’ wisdom, and our place amongst all of nature.
“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”
ROBIN WALL KIMMERER
from Braiding Sweetgrass
Night Bloom
A bright light unfurls in the night.
Moonflowers are aptly named for glowing white flowers that bloom in the night. Is it in defiance of the dark? Or in embrace of it? Most of us are led to fear the night or detest the dark, but in so many ways some of the most beautiful sights require the dark: glimmering lights, flickering candles, bursting fireworks. Learning to hold space for both light and dark brings greater depth and joy to our experience of life.
“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.”
OG MANDINO
Cranes
A pair of cranes form ties inseparable.
In Chinese and Japanese culture, red-crowned cranes symbolize grace, longevity, loyalty, and love. While a pair of cranes typically represent the love between two people, this piece also uses the symbol to represent the universal love that connects all of us. Here, shapes come together to form two cranes, but they could also be abstractions of an entire world in flow.
“Though free to think and act, we are held together like the stars in the firmament, with ties inseparable. These ties cannot be seen, but we can feel them, each of us is only part of a whole.”
NIKOLA TESLA
If you wish to know the divine, feel the wind on your face and the warm sun on your hand.
- BUDDHA
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