BETWEEN NATURE AND ART

From the greatest painters of yesteryears to some of today’s most promising

talent, nature has undeniably proven itself to be one of the most treasured of
muses known to man.
One of the most remarkable artists to ever live, Henry Matisse once said: “An artist must
possess Nature. He must identify himself with her rhythm, by efforts that will prepare the
mastery which will later enable him to express himself in his own language.”
For as long as there has been art, artists have been enthused by nature. Apart from
providing endless inspiration, many of the mediums that artists use to create their
masterpieces such as wood, charcoal, clay, graphite, and water are all products from
nature. 
The artists of years gone by
Although Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime, he was in a league
of his own. He had the ability to bring aspects of nature, such as simple flowers, to life in
his paintings. One such a work of art, Irises, is particularly impressive with the life-force
of the flowers being almost tangible. Monet is another of the world’s greatest artist who
drew inspiration from nature. His series of paintings entitled Lilies is a beautiful
showcase of shadows, light, and water and portray his garden in France. Monet’s flowers
were one of the main focuses of his work for the latter 30 years of his life, perfectly
illustrating what an immense influence the natural beauty around us can have on the
imagination of an artist.  
Modern artists inspired by nature
Mary Iverson both lives and works in Seattle, Washington and draws inspiration from the
immense natural beauty that surrounds her. Her remarkable paintings offer a
rather contemporary spin on traditional landscape art portraying the great monuments and
national parks of the USA. Mary’s greatest inspiration comes from the picturesque Port
of Seattle, and the Rainer, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Mary’s work
has been featured on the cover of Juxtapoz Magazine in 2015 and also appeared in
Huffington Post, The Boston Review and Foreign Policy Magazine. She also works
closely with a number of galleries in Germany, Paris, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and
teaches visual art at the Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon where she passionately
shares her love for the natural world with her students.  
British artist draws lifelong inspiration from the natural world
British wildlife artist Jonathan Sainsbury is known for his astonishing ability to capture
the fleeting moments of the natural world. Having spent most of his life observing and
drawing his various subjects, Sainsbury has become a master at using watercolor and
watercolor combined with charcoal to effortlessly evoke a feeling of movement in his
artwork. Apart from capturing the very essence of countless natural scenes he also draws
on nature in a metaphorical way to refer to our everyday lives. Jonathan’s work can be
viewed at the Wykeham Gallery in Stockbridge, the Strathearn Gallery, and the Dunkeld
Art Exhibition.
Despite the world becoming more technology-driven by the minute, there are very few
things that can inspire artistic brilliance quite like nature does. From a single rose petal
spiralling to the ground to a mighty fish eagle swooping in on its prey, the countless faces
of Mother Nature will continue to mesmerize and provide inspiration for some of the
most renowned works of art the world has ever seen.

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