Nature in Art
For many years, there has been evidence of nature being showcased in art. Paleolithic cave paintings gave insight to creatures found in nature with the forms of cave lions, woolly rhinoceros and mammoths being found amongst the figures decorating the walls. Renaissance art featured life like human figures pictured amongst landscapes of flowers, rivers, mountains, trees and more. Romanticism, impressionism, naturalism, all the way to today’s contemporary art have all had nature featured in paintings, drawings, pottery pieces and more.
Buy WHY do we showcase nature so much in our art? Artists are able to use nature as a profound inspiration to explore themes of beauty, to give depth to the artistic piece, to explore colors and pigments, to bring awareness or concern for our environment and to environmental issues. Nature in art connects to the observer and resonates on multiple levels.
Nature is made to provide many health benefits to us. Viewing nature can ease stress, improve moods, help provide clearer thinking and give you joy. Regular activities in nature help with better health - from physical things such as lowering blood pressure to mental things such as easing anxiety and depression. Nature in art shows that humans know the importance of admiring nature and gives us long term records of how nature has changed through the years.
This year, we have been honored at the Red River National Wildlife Refuge to have two amazing artists do murals for visitors to enjoy. Our first artist, John Fox created an amazing mural for our Children’s Nature Play Area. His family helped support him during the project and with their help, it was recently installed. John included animals such as alligators, Baltimore Orioles, Rufous Hummingbirds, and Monarch Butterflies - all animals that can be found here on the wildlife refuge! John also used his artistic skills to create our new Caddo Language Red River Animal Coloring Book which showcases animals in our area with their Caddo language names.
Hulya Onel, Naturalist for Caddo Parks, and Carolyn Grogan also came and created an amazing mural. This mural, designed and painted by Hulya, is located in the women’s bathroom and compliments a prior mural she painted in the men’s bathroom.
Hulya and Carolyn are longtime volunteers at the Red River NWR and in the community. The multiple murals in the Visitor’s Center done by Hulya are not just beautiful - they are done true to real life making them easily recognizable in the amazing art pieces and in nature.
Thus, nature being featured in art, especially when done with such accuracy, has proven to be a beneficial method of scientific documentation and communication.
