This piece arose from the study, observation, and contemplation of natural phenomena and natural forms. But abstract paintings can also take their visual cue from actual forms in nature, such as the painting below. Art can mimic nature, by seeking to visually replicate objects as they actually appear in real life. Nature in art can take many visual forms, from photorealism to abstraction.

So if you want to create a work of art based on the theme of 'nature', you've really got a whole planetful of ideas to work from!īelow you can see one of my colored pencil drawings, Cosmic Frog, followed by a brief description of the way this drawing addresses the subject of nature.

Because 'nature' is such an immense topic that encompasses so many things, I can only provide a partial list of the various subtopics that may appear in nature-related artwork:įlowers, plants, trees, botany, animals, cells, anatomy, bodily systems, weather, geology, matter, energy, fossils, any of the natural sciences, water, fire, environment, conservation, natural history, processes, evolution, birth, growth, aging, decay, change.Īnd of course within each subtopic, there are further subtopics, and on and on. Without the earth - without nature - what would we be?Īrtwork based on nature can take many forms and serve many purposes. We are inseparable from nature - our bodies, lives and minds depend on the air we breathe and the food we eat. I hope you'll join me someday in experiencing this feeling.That gives us a lot to work with! Nature is both all around us and deep within us. As I look at that little painting.I can remember it all! THIS is what makes painting outside in nature so rewarding, and it's why I do it. My eyes studied the colors, my ears heard wrens and thrushes singing, the wind blowing through the pines, my fingers felt the cool rain drops and mist, my face felt the breeze and my nose smelled the wet leaves and mosses in the undergrowth behind me.and the smells of the kitchen below. As I sat and sketched, then painted.I absorbed all around me. I think the painting will always mean something different to the artist who painted it in the field. I'm trying to practice using the waterbrush so it'll come naturally in the field. By the way, I did the entire painting using one waterbrush and my travel palette.

I signed it Lake Derwent before I learned that it's called Derwent Water. I perked up the color a little trying to keep in mind the original colors I had on the paper.

I sat in a coffee/lunch area in the grocery store on a nasty snowy day and worked on it.then finished it in the comfort of my studio. I just finished the sketch,(back home in the states) working from a dull photo because it was a dull day.

Nature sketch