Stages of Connection: Along Saltsburg Rd., Penn Hills, Pittsburgh

We connect with nature on various levels, and that is what I am trying to convey here. The right side tree is how we normally see nature as something beautiful but taken for granted. The middle one is where we take that walk and appreciate the sights and sounds around us. The left one is when we have made that deep, spiritual connection with nature. 

The location is near my house, near the border between Penn Hills and Plum Borough in Allegheny County just outside of Pittsburgh. It's a small meadow alongside the road which we drive by regularly, just a bit of wild space in a suburban area. 

This painting is titled "Stages of Connection: Along Saltsburg Rd., Penn Hills, Pittsburgh", oil on linen unframed 12" H x 14" W x 0.75" D. The sides are painted gray so it is ready to display or can be framed later on. There is a flat D-ring wire hanger for flush wall mounting.

Artists Statement:

Everything in nature is connected, and even though that connection is overlooked as we go about our day-to-day activities, that magic is there, constantly creating. It can be calming, invigorating, or downright terrifying. But when we appreciate the power of that magic, marvelous things can reveal themselves.

We only need to slow down, breathe it in, feel its energy. The Earth is calling to us “Notice me, see me, I am your home”, during these times of climate change and society’s challenges. The trees, the animals, the oceans, the air, speak to us though it is up to us to listen and act. Home is, after all, meant to be our refuge so it is up to us to take care of it.

Our ancient ancestors understood the deep connection between humans and nature as profoundly magical. Appreciating how nature works is imperative to ensuring our survival into the future. I encourage you to take a walk, anywhere. Listen to the birds, the rustle of wind in the leaves, feel the softness of a flower petal, smell the fresh air after it rains, watch squirrels play in the trees.

In my paintings I look for what the Earth wants us to hear and see by searching for unseen experiences or a sense of place. My goal is to help people bridge that gap between conscious and unconscious awareness of our connection with nature.

“Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye... it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.”-Edvard Munch