WOODLANDS have set my direction as an artist. When I walk the nearby nature trails, I am a child again, finding the small treasures that tell the stories of the forest. A feather or bit of lichen, a wild orchid or strange insect; all capture my attention and my curiosity. Drawing and painting are ways to better understand their form and function.

Wildflowers are fleeting. In the natural setting it is a flash of color or quick movement that catches the eye. Rarely do we see the subject clearly or for long; even collected bits of moss or mushrooms lose their color quickly in the studio. It is the experience of nature that I want to present in my paintings; the joy of discovery and the fascination I find in pattern and texture.

An artist has to look closely. Drawing and painting the seeds, fungi and lichens gives me an understanding of the secret lives of wild orchids and other forest wildflowers. I invariably paint from life and strive to show the attitude of a plant and depict with the illusion of detail.

It is my hope that my paintings will influence the viewer to look at nature closely and perhaps walk a little more carefully in the woods. There are treasures to discover along a nature trail in all seasons; treasures of flora and fauna and the peace of the forest.

Sharon Himes