In the context of making my art I often speak of nature being a great healer for me. Recently I was powerfully reminded of this by a moment of connection in the context of personal love and loss. I thought I would share this as a way of explaining one of the reasons why connection with nature is so important to me personally.
We recently lost one of our beloved dogs, Scruff. He had been part of our family for 11 years and was the most wonderful loyal, happy and loving friend we could have wished for. As his illness advanced, the fear and pain of his impending loss grew ever larger. One night when he was very poorly, I stayed up with him through the night. Everything felt overwhelming. And then, in the quiet hours, I looked out of the window and saw the stars.
It sounds simple, but it changed something in me. The sky did not make the sadness disappear. It did not fix what was happening. It simply brought a sense of calm that I badly needed in that moment.
I noticed a steady light and discovered later that it was Jupiter. I also saw a shooting star. I remember marvelling at the beauty out there, feeling awed in the presence of the vast night sky. For a few minutes I felt less trapped inside my own thoughts.
Afterwards, I wondered to myself why it felt so soothing.
I think part of it was the steadiness. I could feel waves of sadness and worry passing through me, but the stars were simply there. Constant. Unmoved by my fear and sadness. That quiet permanence was deeply calming.
Part of it was also perspective. Looking up drew me out of myself. It reminded me that my life and the vicissitudes of my emotions sit within something far bigger than I can hold in my mind. Not in a dismissive way. In a way that helped me breathe again.
It also brought me back to a sense of belonging. We come from the earth and air. We live among the elements. We return to them. When I looked at the night sky, I felt that truth.
In that moment nature held me and comforted me. It offered me a presence that steadied and calmed me and helped the moment to feel more bearable. Nature gave me a place to feel my emotions without being swallowed by them.
And how does this relate to my art? When I paint big skies and changing light, I am not only painting what I see. I am painting what I have felt. The way a vast sky can be beautiful – and it can hold your emotions and make space inside of you.
This is one of the deeper reasons I return to landscape again and again. It is not just subject matter. It is connection. It is reassurance. It is the quiet, steady healing that nature offers, simply by being there.