Abstract

Beauty and functionality are uniquely intertwined in nature. With no designer, other than evolutionary force, the organisms we find on earth are uniquely their own. The shape, color, texture, all created to serve a purpose. They are not created to be beautiful or inspiring, yet they are. Everywhere one looks, colors, textures and atmosphere all come together to create a beautiful composition in front of our eyes. Just as organisms work together in an ecosystem, they too, work together in a composition. Art and science are much the same in that way. As I create the catalogue I am studying this connection: plants and animals; their taxonomy and behaviors. I study the landscape, sampling textures and recreating light affects through watercolor studies. The catalogue brings these disciplines together to further understand the creek ecosystem from two points of view.

For many people, the natural world is out of sight. The hustle and bustle of our everyday lives keeps us trapped within the world of humans. From within this world, it can be hard to understand how our actions affect the natural realm. Perspective is something that flourishes when there is understanding. As I produce this catalogue and create paintings from my studies, my goal is to bring the natural realm into view and begin to inspire a desire to understand. The Juniper Creek Catalogue serves as a physical connection to the natural world. The act of flipping through the catalogue, for a moment, transports the reader to a place not far from where they are. In fact, the real name of the creek has been changed to Juniper Creek as the location of the study is not the focus. The catalogue not only depicts a creek north-east of Pensacola, but many natural places just off the beaten path.

Where is your Juniper Creek?

Project Description

On the cusp of the scientific revolution, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was formed around the idea of painting as a science, “pursued as an inquiry into the laws of nature” (Holmes 20). The brotherhood believed “the design of a picture had to be ‘subordinate to the truth of nature’” (Holmes 20) and held their practice to a strict standard of honest observation. To achieve these standards, the brothers “painted the whole canvas in-situ” spending hours outdoors, “producing meticulously accurate details which extended to every part of the painting” (Sheldon 1). Through this practice, the Pre-Raphaelites advanced art “towards a broader and more precise understanding” and created powerfully realistic pieces “painted directly from life” (Hackney et al. 55; Holmes 21). The Brotherhood's rigid standards of depicting nature as it was observed were recognized by the broader scientific communities, even gaining them recognition by Charles Darwin, who at the time was enveloped in his studies of evolution and writing The Descent of Man.

Harking back to the scientific standards of the Pre-Raphaelites, I propose to emulate their practice of true observation to create paintings rooted in science. The goal for The Juniper Creek Catalogues is to study the ecology of the creek through an interdisciplinary lens: art and science.

My easel set up in the creek with the equipment I use to paint.

The makeshift studio with the supplies laid out along the paddle board. It was nice sitting in the creek on the hot summer days.

Methodology

Research (completed throughout the project)
- Investigating Pre-Raphaelite painting practices and techniques
- Studying landscape painters
- Background information on wildlife and environmental characteristics
- Identifying flora and fauna in the environment
Studies
- Each week will consist of three seven-hour days
- Two to three of the seven-hour days will take place in situ, painting and drawing landscapes and wildlife in Gouache, Graphite and Charcoal
- Studio time will be spent refining studies and investigating specific ideas further using oil paint, completing research, and laying out and continually updating an InDesign Catalogue file and website
Analysis and documentation
- Wildlife will be documented by identifying their taxonomy along with key information about observed behavioral patterns

These are the materials I used to create the catalogue.

Studies hanging on the wall of the studio.

The studio I worked in during the summer.

Bibliography

Holmes, J. (2018). The pre-raphaelites and science. Yale University Press.

Sheldon, L. (1998). Methods and materials of the Pre-Raphaelite circle in the 1850s. Studies in Conservation, 43(sup1), 229–234.

Townsend, J., Ridge, J., & Hackney, S. (2004). Pre-raphaelite painting techniques. Tate.

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Abstract

Where is your Juniper Creek?

Project Description

Methodology

Bibliography

Get in touch at lauren.bednaroski@gmail.com