55th Anniversary Juried Member's Exhibit - 2023

I always had a fascination and connection with nature... Most of my childhood was spent emersed in nature with dirt under my nails, bits of leaves in my hair, and collections of flowers, rocks, or critters in my pockets. I learned to create art as an observational tool; it was an instrument I used to get nearer to understanding the magnificence of the natural world I was attracted to. Drawing and creating art had become a way of connecting with nature’s realm, it has become a way to communicate the importance of all of which is to be discovered in a way that I could never express otherwise.
I have not been able to remain focused on a single career path, because nothing has satisfied me more than the memories of my youth studying art and investigating the natural world. For this reason, I decided to return to college to study art, which I abandoned years ago. I completed the Natural Science Illustration program at Rhode Island School of Design where I learned traditional drawing and painting techniques. My curiosity led me to learn digital art and 3-D modeling as well, I find it exciting mixing different techniques to the scientific illustration discipline.
To earn extra money for my art classes, I worked in landscape design. Unexpectantly, it prompted me to embark on a whole new artistic direction using a material that I never considered. On jobs, I collected wood that looked unique or struck my interest. I made it a mission to save such “inspirational” pieces from the woodchipper. The inspiration to rescue wood was prophetic, because when the wood I saved was milled, I discovered the unimaginable beauty of wood grain that was hidden underneath unassuming bark. Patterns of tree growth, environmental stress, and insect infestation create a unique story recorded the wood grain of trees.
Within the unintended artistry of trees, I see images hidden in the grain patterns, calling out to be revealed. In turn, I also recall inspired moments from nature that need the right wood surface to emerge from. I was inspired to learn wood burning, pyrography, to bring forth this art that was pulling at me... It just felt like a natural choice, I found it to be similar to drawing with pen and ink. Most importantly, the art of pyrography encourages one to work in accordance with the grain of the wood, to enhance it, and not cover it up. For me, the wood burning tool has become an instrument of a Phoenix, where something ordinary can be transformed into something extraordinary, with fire...
I want to use whatever artistic means at my disposal to compel people to pay attention to nature’s wonders. I want people to stop and look at what I have created, so they themselves can feel the same inspiration I felt, going through the effort of creating what I create. When I see beauty in nature, I am awakened to something primal and essential that cannot be ignored but further explored and must be shared. As Jane Goodall has stated, “Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help shall we all be saved.” My purpose as an artist is to point out magnificence in the discovery of natural things that are frequently overlooked or ignored, for the purpose of awakening everyone to an objective that is essential to our well-being as well as our ultimate survival.
Alissa O’Brien