The post Katie Brooks is Transforming Dried Leaves Into Landscape Paintings appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Brooks always knew she was going to be an artist, but getting there was easier said than done. She spent her childhood collecting leaves and creating art in her family living room, but committing to it full-time seemed like an uncertain and unstable choice, so she took her career in a different direction.
After years of being surrounded by art without actually making it, Brooks decided she couldn’t ignore her true calling any longer. She started painting landscapes on dried leaves, and her signature “100 Painted Leaves Collection” eventually helped her summon the courage to become an artist full-time after her tiny leaf paintings brought her joy that was missing from her life.
Most of her leaves hail from the woods near her home in North Carolina, and she always looks for sturdy, intact leaves with a good shape. She then presses the leaves in an old history book and lets them dry for about a month before prepping them with acrylic gesso and getting ready to paint on them.
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]]>The post Kelsey Schroeder’s Pottery is a Love Letter to Mother Nature appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Schroeder discovered pottery during her high school years, when he attended beginner-friendly wheel classes at her local YMCA. She picked a photography major during her time in college but struggled spending time in the darkroom after working with clay for hours. She decided to switch her focus to ceramics, and this was where she found her true calling, later displaying her work in galleries all around Cedar Rapids.
After years of experimenting with different subjects, Schroeder is best known for her wildlife series, which celebrates many unique creatures and the beauty of their environments.
“My work has always been inspired by the natural world, particularly the immense biodiversity our planet supports and the unique and beautiful qualities each species adds to their habitat and to our world as a whole,” she writes on her official website.
Schroeder finds inspiration everywhere from coral reefs and ocean tides to desert landscapes and the heart of the forest. She wants her work to make a difference in the world and help protect our planet’s future, so she’s donating a portion of each sale to the World Wildlife Fund.
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]]>The post These Drawings Were Created On Snow-Covered Landscapes appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>“My work reflects on environmental concerns and addresses our (humankind’s) relationship to the natural world – as we perceive it and interact with it,” she writes on her website. According to Hinrichsen, modern society has become increasingly disconnected from nature.
“We have come to see our planet as a mine to extract the resources we need to maintain our extravagant life-styles, and as a dumping station for our toxic waste products,” she says. “I believe, however, to secure a “habitat” for future generations (of our own species as well as others) it is essential that we tune ourselves in with nature and re-gain greater awareness of our planet, understand it better and take better stewardship of it.”
Her art examines urban and natural environments through exploration and research. Her work process includes looking at indigenous as well as ancient cultures, whose life philosophies perceive mankind as an integrated part of nature, rather than attempting to dominate over it.
“I believe that through the means of art it is possible to point out the importance of environmental soundness – through speaking to emotion and passion for nature, and through unlocking an ancient sense of freedom and awe,” she explains.
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]]>The post This Bouquets Will Make You Want to Pick Flowers In the Nearest Meadow appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Katie is a professional florist Based in Salem, Oregon. She’s also the owner and founder of Ponderosa and Thyme, an award-winning flower arrangement studio.
? . • Recipes and “how-to” Online guides for gorgeous arrangements sent directly to your inbox every month ? . • Access to ALL PAST EPISODES (tutorials, meditations, conversations and bonus materials) for as long as you’re an active subscriber 
? . . Photo by @sarahwirthphoto of me + the installation made with our Ponderosa Master Class students this Autumn!Katie’s flower arrangements are special for several reasons. First, her designs are beautiful – they almost seem like statues. But it’s not just the way she arranges flowers and plants, it’s also where she gets them. Katie uses locally-grown flowers and works with Oregon-based farmers to create arrangements that represent Oregon. The arrangements change from season to season, as the seasonal flowers change, so now wreath or bouquet is like any other.
This can be a challenge, of course, as Katie is limited to whatever is available in her home state, but it is also an opportunity to create a community of farmers, florists and flower enthusiasts, who all share a deep love for nature. We can’t all visit Ponderosa and Thyme, unfortunately, but Katie’s IG account does provide us a pick to her wonderful world of plants and flowers. Take a look and maybe you’ll be inspired to create your own bouquet.
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]]>The post Artist Uses Magazine Cutouts to Make Large Collages appeared first on PlayJunkie.
]]>Murphy cuts out small photos of animals, plants, and organic objects from these magazines and then uses them to create nature collages. She uses transparent threads to string the cutouts together and piece them into birds, butterflies, and insects.
Besides the larger picture, Murhpy’s pieces are also full of intriguing scenes and curious details that make them worthy of careful observation.
According to Murphy, she began creating the collages after the death of a friend.
“The work was a way to cope with the grief but also an outlet to hope,” the artist explained. “This series comes at another time of loss, both personal and I believe collective. We now live in a time of ecological mourning and are in desperate need for paths to rediscover hope.”
Check out some of Murphy’s impressive works below.
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