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 As you can tell from the last 6 months of my blog, I have wanted to bring awareness to the gifts of nature, highlight interesting science facts, share personal stories, and offer philosophical thoughts or quotes along the way.  While I could have focused on all the problems facing us due to climate change, I decided to take a more positive approach.  None of us needed more to worry about in 2020.  We've seen senseless violence and still hear the egotistical and irrational politics in the news.  We are also still in the throes of this pandemic and experiencing sadness, loneliness, and financial strife.  I hear harsh words everywhere and I don't recognize this society...this hate...what has happened?  Love can solve all of this - love and respect of nature, love and respect for each other despite color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, cultural or political differences.  Whether religious or not, it would be hard to argue with this verse from Corinthians: 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

We can love ourselves and others by taking appropriate precautions to stay safe during the pandemic, and we can move beyond all the hate by living without judgment and to aspire to unite rather than divide.  If we can maintain love, hope and unity, we can figure out how to mend the soul of humanity and the fragile state of the environment by reconnecting the thread that brings us all together as a strong force.  As Ghandi said, "let's be the change we wish to see in the world."

I rendered the painting "One Tree Planted Angel" in honor of the charity with whom I am partnering.  The angel plants a single tree and symbolizes how each one of us can do our part to heal nature, to help reforest our planet, and to build a healthier environment for the future.  We can each plant one tree or donate toward planting many trees, and we can each practice sustainability.  There is a part in this play of life for each of us to to be influential and make a difference.  As you may have noticed in the painting, the clock is ticking in the lower right corner - the sooner we make a difference the better!   Click here to see the blog post about my partnership with One Tree Planted.  I am donating a percentage of every painting sold, but you can donate to this charity at any time.  They have an amazing website with lots of great information.

May you all have a peaceful and happy holiday!

Linda

Winter is my favorite time of the year, and I really enjoy painting snow scenes.  This is a painting I did a few years back following a big snow storm.  The area is not too far from my house so I hiked through the woods until I reached the main trail and walked along the river.  It was fairly early in the morning and there was hardly a sound other than the water gently flowing past snow covered rocks.   The forest felt magical.  The snow truly does give the landscape the appearance of a pristine wonderland.  Even the old unsightly buildings I passed on the way appeared beautiful under the blanket of white.  

My mind felt clear and comforted even though my body was cold and shivering.  As I inhaled the crisp air, my senses were invigorated.  There is something special about the silence of the forest after a snowfall.  What solitude and peace!  For those hours along the river, I forgot about all my worries and to-do lists.  There were no thoughts about the past or pondering on the future - just each beautiful mindful moment on a quiet snowy winter morning.

While it's a great time to be outdoors with the snow, being indoors has it own happy comforts.  I love nothing more than snuggling up on the sofa with a blanket, writing in my journal or spending hours reading.  For many of us this is the time of year to slow down, relax more and recharge our spirits.  The same for trees actually.  Since they are dormant in the winter months, their metabolism, energy consumption, and growth slows down significantly.  Trees and humans are similar in that they need this period of rest and renewal.  

Hope it snows soon! 

Linda

I am very pleased to announce to my followers that I have become a reforestation partner with One Tree Planted (based in Vermont), a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a focus on global reforestation.  Therefore, I will donate a percentage of the sale of any original painting to this charity.  I have researched various environmental charities and feel confident about donating to this nonprofit with a score of 100 for best results at Charity Navigator. 

In 2019 One Tree Planted restored 74,000 acres of natural habitat.  Their activities included forest fire recovery, expanding habitats for wildlife and biodiversity, and improving watershed health for local communities.  They are planting trees across North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia and portions of Australia and New Zealand.  In 2019 4,000,000 trees were planted, and by the end of 2020, it is estimated 15,000,000 trees will have been planted.  Reforestation is key to sustaining the health of the Earth and countering the impact of climate change. 

If you want to check out their blog and read stories from the field, tree facts, information on sustainability and other environmental tips and information, click here.

For every dollar donated, one tree is planted!

This painting was rendered from a photograph taken at William B. Umstead State Park - a large forest with nature trails (approximately 5,600 acres) nestled between the cities of Raleigh, Cary, and Durham, NC.

I was already aware that spending time in nature was a healing activity, but recently I was told by a Canadian follower on Instagram that my nature paintings eased her anxiety and made her feel more hope.  A few days later another follower said my tree and forest paintings gave her a sense of calm and contentment.  These same types of messages have been pretty constant and of course it is so nice to hear, but it also piqued my curiosity.  I did some research as to how these nature paintings could impact stress levels.  Sure enough I read that even images of nature can decrease activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex (a region associated with worry and dwelling on negative thoughts).  I then also read about how viewing art in itself enhances brain function as it impacts brain wave patterns and emotions, the nervous system, and raises serotonin levels. 

Jacob Devaney wrote "When you observe a profound piece of art you are potentially firing the same neurons as the artist did when they created it thus making new neural pathways and stimulating a state of inspiration.  This sense of being drawn into a painting is called embodied cognition."  I know that painting and other inspired creativity has helped me survive many tough times in my life, but it has also enhanced the good times.  A single bold brushstroke that has impact can give me such a rush of excitement and sense of accomplishment. 

Art is healing; nature is healing.  It is exciting to think that the combination of viewing images of nature and the observation of a painting can improve a person's outlook and the way they experience the world. 

Linda