Seth Tummins was raised by Hurricane Creek outside of McEwen, Tennessee – a rural area
about an hour west of Nashville. He spent his youth in the fields, handling rocks at the creek
and walking up the road to see family while taking in the world around him.
Art was not a part of Tummins’ youth or education – he only saw paintings in schoolbooks. Still,
nature asked him to look longer, to listen more carefully. A longing to speak back to beauty with
beauty grew within him, and so in December 2009, after making sporadic creative efforts, he
decided to learn to paint.
In his current studio work, he chooses to respond to marks on the surface rather than rigidly
adhering to sketches or photographs. The surface – the lines, shapes, and physicality of the
paint - is just as important as the scene. The experience of a place is more valuable than its
appearance, so using memory and an open mind are important aspects of his process that link
the past with the present. Nature is the starting point, not the goal.
Recent shows and recognitions include the New Salem Museum of Art and Academy’s
International Exhibition, the Almenara Art Prize exhibition, the Oil Painters of America National
Exhibition, and a finalist for the Plein Air Salon’s annual grand prize.
Statement
The premise of this work is to serve as an introduction to one another, to our lands, and to our special existence.
It is also intended to foster the collecting of imagery as pieces of heritage worthy of passing on to posterity.
Homes will change, fields will change, towns will change, and these facts give cause to pass on something tangible so that others, future families and various interested parties, may know more fully that we lived and thought of them enough to leave something of worth.
May you find that what unfolds before you is more than a record, though it is at least that.
May you find that it is, in fact, the expression of a deeply resonating chord that wishes for others to awaken to its resonance and join in the kind of life that can only grow from gratitude.
See also - https://substack.com/@sethtummins
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