Texas Tears Artist Statement

I’ve written about the experience that kicked off my obsession with landscapes before. It can be found here.

In the explanation, I focus on how that experience sparked an obsession with painting landscapes but don’t get much into the environmental aspect.

What struck me as particularly notable was after years (maybe it was 3, it could have been 5 years) of record breaking consecutive days over 100 degrees, drought, water restrictions and days where you could just feel the summer heat zapping all of the moisture from your mouth and skin even well into the evening, the rains came.

As welcome as they were at first, they showed a dangerous side. They seem did as much damage as the drought and wildfires.

This juxtaposition prompted me to think on just how small we are. We feel we’ve conquered nature but we are so far from it.

Here’s the formal artist statement

The Texas Tears series focuses on environmental extremes. The series showcases nature’s beauty, contemplates its danger, and considers its future. 

We live a life attached to screens and detached from nature. We find ourselves in concrete jungles more often than tree-filled forests. We’ve built higher, bigger, and stronger buildings. 

Tornados still come and turn it to rubble. Wildfires don’t care about sentimental photographs or family heirlooms. Hurricanes bring winds and floods. Torrential downpours lead to flash floods that indiscriminately wash away all in its path. 

The pain and empathy felt for those involved at the peak of the crisis swiftly fades to the back of our minds. There's not room to hold onto it all, as the news transfers our concern onto the next crisis. 

Our climate is changing to the point where large swaths of the planet could become uninhabitable if we do not change. It's challenging to take action today when the goal line reaches far into the future. Yet the livability of much of the earth for our grandchildren depends on it. 

Texas Tears illustrates nature’s beauty, peace, and capacity for destruction. It serves as a reminder to care for our planet before its enduring beauty becomes a yearned for relic.