Spirit of the Jungle
This collection of paintings was created during my time as a resident artist at Sachaqa Art Center in the Peruvian Jungle. Sachaqa means 'Spirit of the Jungle', and it is quite the fitting name. It is an eco-art village surrounded by nature, in proximity to national parks, and protected Amazonian rainforests.
With Trina my residency host, I learned how to forage for earth pigments in the surrounding natural areas. I gathered all types of rocks and minerals to make watercolor paint with.
Mixing Paint
Paintmaking Workspace
Some of the landscapes where we foraged
Stones from the river
The finished palette
Jungle Color Wheel ∙ 5” x 5”
Friction ∙ 15” x 22”
Info
Description: The days here alternated between rain and sun, thunder and blue skies. This constant back and forth, and contrast built up in layers is reflected in this piece.
Year: 2017
Abrase ∙ 10” x 10”
Portal ∙ 10” x 10”
Morpheo Menelaus ∙ 22” x 22”
Info
Description: This painting began when I picked up a butterfly wing from the Morpheo Menelaus butterfly. I was fascinated by the contrast between the bright electric iridescent blue and the earthy moth-like underside of the wing, two sides of the same creature. I was thinking about that and myself, silence vs chatter, eccentric vs lethargic. The original painting is painted with 50% naturally found pigments from the Peruvian Jungle.
Year: 2017
Warming Up ∙ 24” x 32” framed
I felt the collision of my urban lifestyle into a wild untamed jungle
Chicharra ∙ 6” x 10”
Lilac Haze ∙ 15” x 22”
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Description: This piece was born from a waking dream. I was consistently waking up before the sunrise during, and experiencing that magic moment of night turning to day.
Year: 2017
Mountain Friend ∙ 22” x 22”
Palm Shadows ∙ 22” x 22”
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Description: I was observing the wafting shadows of a palm leaf during a residency in the Peruvian Jungle and thinking about all the different grays you can mix. Each gray here is made of combination of red, blue, and green pigments, each segment balancing somewhere in between them. Layers of hematite and naturally found pigments are woven in like the palm roof leaves.
Year: 2017
