This series honors the details in life that we overlook every day. The base of each of these images is a watercolor painting. I begin each one with clear water on paper, then drop various pigments onto the wet surface where they mingle and spread. The process is unpredictable; because of the nature of water and the varying densities of each pigment, the colors separate and blend in unusual ways creating detailed textures. After the pigments dry, I outline the paint in pen where my eye perceives a value or color shift. Sometimes the boundary is clear, other times it feels vague and even arbitrary.
Using Photoshop, I then layer photographs of insects, trash, and other found objects on top of these watercolor landscapes. Each part of the process of creating these images is a practice in meditative observation. Collecting discarded objects on the streets reminds me to pay attention to the things around me that are easily labeled unimportant. Studying the detailed textures and patterns of insects reminds me to respect the things I do not always see. Creating these images, I train my eyes to see nuance and I find details I hadn’t noticed before.
Through practicing art, I have been challenged to reconstruct my understanding of beauty and recognize the limits of my own vision. By creating these small, intricate pieces I want to invite you, the viewer, into the practice of meditative observation with me. If we take time to really look, to routinely and intentionally practice observation and care in small ways, how will this shape the way our eyes see?
