sbhansen ART Blog

Doesn’t it seem like we are tied to our devices? Anywhere you go, people are looking at their phone, a computer, earplugs in the ears, watching TV, wearing FitBits. It’s strange. I’m guilty, too. I spend WAY too much time on my devices. I feel the stress of constant concentration. I think people need to unplug. At least once in a while.

In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. -John Muir

All it takes for me to release the stress of phones, computers, traffic, problem-solving and social media is to get outside. Once I set my foot on a trail, dip my toe into a cool lake next to my kayak, or hop on my mountain bike, the tension falls away. I unwind.

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. -Henry David Thoreau

My focus re-directs to bird chatter, open sky, pine smells, gentle water sounds, and the small world at my feet. I realize I can breathe. “Why am I not out here all the time?” I ask myself.

 

 

We live in such a beautiful area. Our Pacific Northwest is a magical place. My newest series, called “Nature Unplugged” celebrates the area in which we live, but also considers that we must each unplug ourselves from the noise of everyday life. We must give our minds and bodies a break from the constant barrage of attention-demanding, energy-draining electronics around us. Nature has a way of energizing the soul and revamping our spirit.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in, where nature may heal and give strength to the body and soul. -John Muir

In this series, I invite you to take a deep breath, decompress, unplug. Step into the painting. Notice the small surprises of texture and color. Details of lines, string, squares and pops of intense hue reveal themselves as you make your way into the world. Not only are treasures like flowers, intricate rocks, or beetle trails at your feet, but also clusters of cool trees and hazy mountains at a distant destination. Absorb and observe the surroundings. Unplug. Feel the expanse, the breath, and the warmth.

 

Nature Unplugged, will be my featured show at Tumalo Art Company in July(2017) this summer. Arrive at true peace.

 

 

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and follow this blog to be informed of amazing new paintings and events! Contact me to receive my newsletter so that we can meet at showings and to receive notifications about classes. I will be planning a workshop painting class in the fall of 2017. I will post more when I know the dates. Every one of my paintings is available as a print, and I sell signed greeting cards of all my images.