‘For the Love of Moss’ is progression from my Big Bonsai Series, where I ask what a bonsai may look like if left alone for awhile to let nature take over. The initial idea was inspired by the broken-pot sculptures of Dutch artist Patrick Bergsma (credit where it’s due, his sculptures are extraordinary).
As with the Big Bonsai Series, both disciplines of rearing bonsai and painting with pours and fluid acrylics, hinge on the delicate dance between control and spontaneity. I try to harness the forces of nature and the fluidity of paint to create living, evolving works of art. Just as cultivating bonsai demands patience, a deep understanding of natural growth patterns, and an intuitive sense of when to prune or nurture, my fluid painting process requires a keen eye for balance and harmony. I seek to capture the essence of growth, transformation, and the dynamic interplay between human intention and the inherent, uncontrollable forces of nature.
Incorporating the notion of “nature taking over”, I try to convey the relentless power of nature, and a reminder that in the grand tapestry of life, our creations and interventions are ultimately transient, while the forces of nature endure. This painting itself will likely become a canvas for real organic growths of moss or fungi, or become compost or ash. Not too soon though I hope!