Do you have a favorite nature artist - or many? I have two - one I’ve loved for decades, and another I just “discovered” at the end of last year when searching for a 2025 wall calendar for my kitchen (I know, doesn’t sound promising, but…you’ll see!).
The first is Eyvind Earle whose landscape paintings, particularly of California’s Central Coast I find absolutely magical.
The second is my new favorite - Phyllis Shafer. Her work is stunningly beautiful!
I’ll add a third too, who might not exactly fit the label of “nature artist”, but because he incorporates his work into beautiful settings, I decided he counts for me: Dale Chihuly.
I hope you’ll enjoy these, and I look forward to learning of others from you!
Picking one would be difficult at best, so I’ll go with the one whose work ties in to my other major obsession: early 20th Century history (particularly Women’s History).
She was an illustrator, as were several of her siblings, and teacher. Nature Notes for 1906 was a model for her students’ work, and was published posthumously as The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady.
Pretty much anyone that showcases the National Parks in their works. Chiura Obata and Ansel Adams are the two that spring to mind most immediately. I also enjoy Hokusai’s nature-related woodblock prints. Everyone knows the ‘Great Wave off Kanagawa’, but I really like ‘Cuckoo and Azaleas’. And Ernst Haeckel’s biological drawings are the aesthetic I would like to decorate my house with (if I could ever afford a house or an aesthetic). I also once got to see the Harvard collection of the Blaschkas’ glass flowers. That one left a lasting impression on me. As a mineral collector, so did the Houston Muesum of Natural Science’s temporary exhibit on the Dreher gemstone carvings (HMNS also has a world-class gems and minerals exhibit). Nature is truly the greatest inspiration for the world’s most talented artists. With the abundance of great works out there, it’s hard to pick just one favorite.
I went to Kansas State University for my undergraduate education. The Mariana Kistler Beach Museum of Art on campus has a large chandelier made by Chihuly. Honestly, I always thought it was kind of ugly. I like the outdoor exhibits a lot more, especially the boats.
Oh my! Thank you! My work is always inspired by nature, even though it is not always realistic or accurate, especially when working with fabric, which doesn’t lend itself to scientific exactitude.
I’m no Roger Tory Peterson, although once upon a time I wanted to be…
