Nature, the Artist

In an interview once, I was asked about my source of inspiration for my photography. Simply put, this amazing world inspires so much of my work. Nature speaks to our soul in a language we innately know. We only have to pay attention to delight in the miracles surrounding us.

I think I first realized this when I was a child. When I was ten, an artist (a painter) went to our ranch with us. I tagged along on her heels and soaked up everything that she said. For the first time, I remember really noticing color through her words…through her eyes. It changed my world. I woke up. I realized art is everywhere, and I wanted to capture it.

Nature, after all, is the oldest artist. With every sunrise, it paints the sky in shades of gold and crimson. It sculpts mountains with the steady hands of wind and rain. It sketches delicate patterns on the underside of a turtle. Wildflowers bloom in accidental masterpieces across the land. Every stone, every leaf, every cloud carries the effortless touch of a creator who needs no audience. But I am the audience and I want to bring you with me.

This persistent urge gives me wanderlust. With a camera in my hand, I must keep searching everything around me. It is not an obligation; instead, it is a necessity for my being. It is a calling…a fascination. Nature is the artist; I just capture it in my images.

Jean N Cornell

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