One of the many things we enjoyed about the exhibit was the nature-themed projects and the diversity the artists brought to the table. My husband is an avid outdoorsman; with pieces such as a expansive story quilt of how Lewis and Clark explored the west, to larger than life bass with iridescent fins, to sculptural works of birds, buffalo and bears, it was better than a taxidermy collection. Way better than that, in fact; the animals that inspired the art are still alive and inspiring others...
But back to the exhibit. Art is meant to inspire, educate, spur on, or connect with it's viewers. Here, soaking in the outdoors through the brushstrokes of fabric, the lines of thread and the soft sculpture of wool, you felt a certain connection to the animals. From the land we source our materials. To each other, we give the gift of creativity. Such a circle isn't it? God has a glorious way of planting creativity into everything that surrounds us. He was an artist when it came to creating our world. Shouldn't we find in it naturally, a deep well-spring of inspiration?
I loved this shot of two art pieces, same subject, yet vastly different. Two ways of looking at one similar creature. Two interpretations that came from one source. Rhonda McClure has a wonderful story and even more fabulous skills as a sculptor. Her buffalo captures the majesty and grandeur of these Plains beasts. Yet the wall hanging in the back ground, which the artist printed the photo onto a fabric and added fiber in the form of needle felting, represents a sadder, fading image of the same animal. My eyes see a gentler buffalo here, one that has faced defeat and struggle.
How different and yet how similar! We can be inspired by the same subject but come up with completely and vastly different images. Just a part of the reason we create, to express our individuality......