If you’ve seen my painting Heron before, here is a story about how it came to be and the meaning it has gathered for me over the years.
Getting to Know Heron
It started when I saw a photograph of a heron on the Boise River that my friend Marc Jourdenais captured, and I loved its dignity and plumage. I wondered if I could create an exciting carved painting from it.
I took many art naps to figure out all of the details of carving and burning the surface in areas and where to paint. Staying true to the photo meant also including wonderful reflections on the water. I decided to use a saturated color palette as if it were sunset in Boise.
Showing this work over the years has added meaning to it.
How?
Well, I noticed that with the growth of the number of Boise residents, the riparian wildlife around the river was and continues to be increasingly displaced by humans. Heron became a call to appreciate this wildlife while we still can.
How We Value Nature
The burning that I did in this work, destroying the wood surface underneath the paint layers, sort of made me think of the destruction humans bring to the unusual treasure of the Boise River running right through our city.
This painting became a unique way of asking people to join me in valuing and being good stewards of urban nature, and really all of nature, while it lasts.
The original of this painting sold, but if you’re interested, you can get a print of Heron here.
Thank you for supporting the arts!
– Gretchen Weitemier
