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Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
—Mary Oliver
From the Artist:
Two years ago, I got interested in painting the wetlands and fields at Cosumnes River Preserve, north of Stockton. There, an amazing abundance of birds, native plants, and interesting shapes emerge from the rigid agricultural landscape of our valley. It isn’t exactly wilderness, but it’s wild enough for me to understand that I am somewhere important. Just being there feels like a gift. I originally planned to paint only with transparent watercolor, a new medium for me. To produce the values and textures I wanted, I began to add water soluble pencils and inks. When I added opaque media, like pastel and charcoal, I realized I had departed from traditional watercolor and met art that feels like me.
As Mary Oliver gently instructs, I am paying attention, I am often astonished, and I hope you enjoy the telling.
- Beth Brampton
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