Wild Places:
Full Statement

The paintings in this series were composed in wilderness settings and “out of the way” natural areas.

Over the years, I have streamlined my painting kit to fit into a backpack so that it can be easily transported on the trail. If I retreat into the wilderness for the better part of a day, I usually take additional items for comfort, including: a backpacking chair, a tarp, lunch, a cook stove for afternoon tea, trekking poles for stability, and a rain poncho. On some occasions, I take a tent which allows me to spend the night in a desired location.

I prefer to paint only the natural world when I am outdoors. I try to find places where no fabricated structures exist. These raw and unkept places speak about the wildness of our Creator.

Natural areas that are manicured for public consumption are spaces to be cherished. It is both wonderful and refreshing to walk through a well-maintained garden. These garnished environments comment on our collaboration with God. Here, an invitation is extended to us, that we might participate in beautifying God’s creativity. This reveals God’s servant-nature as he bows toward the human.

However, in those wild places, where people have not stepped foot, there is a primordial beauty on display as we see the handiwork of God in its first form. Wild places reveal the essence of God. There we find a God who is raw, potentially dangerous, and without apology. In wild places, it is we who must bow.

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