Biophilia; Standing Witness – Love of Nature

“A human being is part of the whole called by us ‘the universe,’ a part limited in time and space.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of consciousness.  This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection of a few persons nearest to us.  Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

~ Albert Einstein, via Solitude

 

abstract oil painting trees karen rumora

Sanguine Shadows, Oil on Panel, 18×24, Artist: Karen Rumora copyright 2017

abstract oil painting trees karen rumora

Morning, Oil on Canvas, 24×32, Artist: Karen Rumora copyright 2017

 

Biophilia; Standing Witness

 

Studio San Guiseppe Art Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio
Mount St Joseph University
5701 Delhi Road
September 17 – October 20, 2017
Gallery Hours Monday – Friday 10 – 5, Saturday & Sunday 1 – 5

My new tree paintings are currently on exhibit at the Studio San Guiseppe Art Gallery in Cincinnati. It is an absolute privilege to be in the company of these twelve talented women artists, where we share our unique artistic responses to the natural world.  The particular oil paintings I created are extensions of my experiences as a plein-aire painter. I collected and called on my memories of outdoor environments for this more introspective process. Because of this, the final results have manifested into these abstract, fictional vistas.

Cell-shaped entities grew from a more personal and meditative approach. As these morphing forms bordered on the surreal, I imagined the recent treescapes as a prelude to a dream; a space teetering between reality and wonder. The surface became a tapestry of color resembling biological organisms, with more aspects of the interior structure ofplant life, rather than it’s external features. So this essentially turned my concept of a landscape painting “inside-out”.

abstract oil painting trees karen rumora

The Enchanted Indifference, Oil on Canvas, 32×60, Artist: Karen

The very action of generating this work transposes my own meditations into visions on the canvas, and further merges the concept of individual and shared energy. As a result, the images represent the generation and integration of life forms as well as an aura of coexistence and harmony of living elements.

abstract oil painting tree karen rumora

Entwined Tango, Oil on Canvas, 36×36, Artist: Karen Rumora copyright 2017

My thanks to all of those who shared the day!

Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery Mt St Josephs

Biophilia, Standing Witness, 2017 Artist: Karen Rumora

 

Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery Mt St Josephs

Biophilia, Standing Witness, 2017 Artist: Karen Rumora with Susan Mahan

 

 

 

And if you love trees, here are some links to some amazing TED talks: